A New Chapter
by smithandbarrowman
Summary: Autumn turns to winter, and the universe thinks that Hermione needs a change. And when that change comes about, and success follows, another curve ball is thrown her way in the form of a blonde Adonis who turns her comfortable world upside down. (Modern AU Dramoine; no magic, no Hogwarts.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **This one is completely AU and completely OOC-ish. No magic, no Hogwarts; I wanted to do something different with my favourite characters, so I pretty much wrote a story and dropped them in it.**

* * *

August had drawn to a close, summer was well and truly over and the autumn season that had barely begun was quickly turning into winter. Hermione ordinarily wouldn't mind, winter was her season; woollen hats and gloves, warm coats, fuzzy socks and hot drinks. And snow. She loved the snow. But right now, winter was the last thing on her mind. Right at this minute, nothing really mattered. The day had been grey and miserable everything had that cold, run down feel to it making the world feel old and unwelcoming. And when you lived in a town that was older than the earth itself, that was saying something.

Her already tiny flat seemed even more cramped than usual; two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living room. That was the sum total of space she owned. It wasn't much, but at least it was all hers. She was sitting on the cushioned window seat, staring out the window, well, as much as she could stare out; the rain was pouring down, completely distorting her view. She hadn't left her flat for days. In fact, she hadn't changed out of her pyjamas for days. She was in serious need of a shower, but even that seemed like too much of an effort.

Three days ago, she had been fired from her job at Flourish and Blotts book store for, let's just say, being too damned efficient and making her co-workers look bad. One of them, who shall remain nameless...Lavender Brown...decided that she'd had enough of looking bad and got her fired. She had been hauled into the manager's office and was told that in no uncertain terms that bullying was not accepted in the workplace.

She had stared unbelievingly at Don Blotts, her boss, a somewhat stupid man, whose only reason for hiring Lavender was that he thought he might get laid. Lavender was your stereotypical air head; big boobs (possibly fake), blonde hair (definitely fake), short skirts, a tan the color of a Dorito and a brain the size of a walnut. Lavender had recently been dumped by her sugar daddy, her very rich, very prominent sugar daddy, whose wife had had enough of his extramarital affairs, and given him an ultimatum: Lavender or her. Naturally he chose the latter, and Lavender found herself in dire need of an income. She'd managed to convince Don to hire her, and apparently thought her job was to flounce around the store, doing little more than making puppy dog eyes at all the men - although to put a positive spin on it, at least more men in town were buying books.

Lavender, Hermione was sure, had used this same tactic on Don, batting her eyelids at him and showing a little more cleavage than necessary when she told him that Hermione was controlling and wouldn't let her do any of the work she needed to do, and that she felt bullied. Hermione proceeded to tell Don, that the only reason she had to do Lavender's work was because Lavender wouldn't do it herself.

"Well, Miss Brown is most upset." He told her.

" _Miss Brown_ ," Hermione gaped at him. In all the time she'd worked for him, not once had Don called her 'Miss Granger'.

"Yes, Miss Brown has explained that she can't work to the best of her abilities with you here, making her feel inferior." Don looked incredibly proud, virtually high-fiving himself for using such a big word like _inferior._

Hermione rolled her eyes, wondering just how long he'd worked on this speech for, and retorted, "So, show her the door."

"Now, Hermione-" he started, but Hermione raised her hand and cut him off.

"Don, please do not tell me you believe her?"

"She was very upset, Hermione, and I have no reason to think she was lying."

Seven years she'd worked for this man. Seven years! And not once had she given him any grief. She turned up on time, worked weekends and nights when no one else would, had only taken leave when she had been forced to. She loved her job, and honestly felt like Flourish and Blotts Bookstore was hers, not Don's. Hermione both choked and laughed at the same time, "Wow," Hermione looked incredulous, "I guess she was showing more cleavage than I thought. This is total bullshit, Don, and you know it!"

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I just can't have this kind of behaviour here. I will have to let you go."

She sat staring at him for several seconds before her brain finally registered that she had just been fired, "You're firing me?"

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I simply have no other choice."

"Well Don, I hope it all goes well. I mean seriously, with Lavender here, imagine the clientele you'll attract," She sneered at him as she stood, "Just a tip for you, you may have to stock some more male oriented reading material, because every pervert in town will now frequent Flourish and Blotts." And she stormed out.

As she collected her belongings, Lavender surprised her by engulfing her in a hug. She had crocodile tears in her eyes, and wailed about how she would miss her. Hermione managed to detangle herself from the fake embrace, and shook her head as Ernie MacMillan, who was once her trusted work crony, but had become another drooling lapdog the second Lavender walked in the door, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"We'll miss you," Lavender wailed, ensuring that everyone in the store heard her, "I can't believe you're leaving us."

"Wow, Lavender, I'm touched," Hermione drawled, "And you sound so sincere. I think you deserve an award for this brilliant performance of _I got Hermione fired_."

Ernie's eyes got wide, and he looked at Lavender, his arm dropping quickly from her shoulders. " _You_ got Hermione fired?" he stammered.

"No!" she exclaimed, "I didn't, Mr Blotts said she quit."

Ernie looked at Hermione; he knew damned well she would never quit this job. Books were her life, and this, aside from owning her own book store, was her dream job. "Hermione? What's going on." he asked.

"Ask Lavender, she's responsible for this."

The people in the store were watching the show with a great deal of interest. Hermione was certain that the second she walked out, they would all instantly take out their phones, and the entire town would be aware that she no longer worked at Flourish and Blotts Books.

She looked at Lavender, whose tears had all but dried up, and pointed at her chest, "You might want to cover the girls up, because Mr Blotts is expecting way more than the eyeful you gave him. _Way_ more." And with that, she turned on her heel, and sauntered out of the store.

Of course, all the bravado left her the minute she slumped into her car, which was fortunately parked at the rear of the store where no one could see the blubbering performance that followed. She leaned her head on the steering wheel, and let out a sob. _What the hell am I going to do now?_ She thought. She was one of those rare people who actually loved their job. She had been reading since she could remember. As a child she sat on her father's knee, following his finger as it raced across the pages, teaching her to recognise words and letters. Every night they shared a story, and his love of books and reading was passed on to her.

Hermione lifted her head from the steering wheel, and saw the dark clouds moving in across the sky. _Perfect_ , she thought, _even the universe hates me._ She stared at herself in the rear view mirror, groaning at the horseshoe-shaped welt from the steering wheel across her forehead, almost twenty minutes had passed without her even realising it. _What am I going to do?_ She asked herself again. _Go home_ was her first thought. _Drink myself into oblivion_ was her second thought **.** She figured the best way to rid herself of the foul stench of Don Blotts was to drown herself in vodka and it would just so happen that Ginny and Harry had given her a bottle for her last birthday and it was now gathering dust in the back of her cupboard, so that's what she did.

Well, no. That's not exactly what she did. The first thing she did was to drive her car to the local pub.

 _The Second Salt,_ was the towns' oldest pub. It was rustic and welcoming; timber, clay bricks and intricate stone carvings made up most of the building's outer structure. It was difficult to see through the stained glass windows, but Hermione knew that beyond the heavy wooden door that she would have a quiet place to sit and ponder over her new found unemployment.

The pub was dark inside, not in a dank and dreary way but in that warm, mellow and welcoming way. Rounded, hardwood beams supported the upper floor and the rows of small lights attached to them. Ceiling fans circulated the air and the walls were littered with so many different types of memorabilia, no one was sure if they were trying for a specific style or if they just put up anything they liked. She always assumed the latter.

The well worn bar, that had been wiped so often it was almost like a mirror was central in the large room. Stools surrounded it on all four sides. Several long tables took up space either side of the bar, with smaller tables and booths lining the outer walls. And there was a well used pool table in the rear. The pub was almost completely abandoned. Two older locals occupied two stools at the bar, so she placed herself firmly at the opposite end, as far away as possible from them and rapped her knuckles on the bar, attracting the attention of Seamus Finnegan, the Irish owner of the English pub, (no matter what time of day you were there he was behind the bar), who greeted her with a slight frown.

"Isn't it a little too early for you to be in here." He commented with a quick glance to the clock, "In fact, isn't it a little too Tuesday for you to be in here?"

"How many shot glasses do you own?" Hermione asked ignoring him.

He frowned, "Why?"

"Well, my plan for the afternoon is to drink myself into oblivion, crawl back and drink myself there again." She informed him and waved her hands across the bar in a flourish, "Line 'em up."

"Wow," he said, wide-eyed, "I'm not sure I have enough booze in here to cover that."

"So get more," she told him, "I plan on being here for a while."

"You do realise that I have a responsibility to ensure that you don't drive home drunk?" Seamus gave her a stern look.

Hermione sighed, exasperated, and tossed him her keys, "There, are you happy?" he smirked at her and then nodded. She made a twirling gesture with her finger, and repeated, "Now line 'em up!"

Seamus laughed, finally realising she was serious. They had been at school together and had been reasonably good friends, but while she liked the (very) occasional shit-faced drunk Saturday night as much as the next person, and his pub was the favourite hang-out of her and her best friends, to be here before midday on a Tuesday ordering copious amounts of alcohol was just not something she wouldordinarily do.

"Um," Seamus said cautiously, "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Well Seamus, that depends on your definition of okay." She said glumly, "If getting fired from the job you love and are extremely good at makes you feel okay, well then yes, I'm just freaking dandy."

"What!?" Seamus looked dumbfounded, "Don fired you? But why?"

She nodded. Don Blotts was well known around town. His bookshop had been the only one in town since Jesus was a baby. It had been in his family for generations and no one dared to buy their books anywhere else. _Amazon_ was almost blasphemous in Grimsby, population twelve thousand. It was as if the Blotts could sense that you purchased a book from elsewhere and very few people dared to do so.

And along with the towns' knowledge of The Blotts Family, they were also aware of her family. The Grangers had lived there for almost as long and even though her family was well known, Hermione's name seemed to have been forgotten and she was commonly referred to as _that poor child who lost her parents_. But more importantly they also knew that she lived for books. She had toted one with her everywhere she went since she could walk, and had been notorious around town for it.

"Seamus," Hermione said, leaning her elbows on the bar and resting her chin on her hands, "I got fired today. I got fired because Lavender Brown's boobs are bigger than mine. I got fired today because I don't possess the proclivity to shove mine in the face of every man in town **.** And if that doesn't mean I can drink myself into a shit-faced mess on a Tuesday afternoon, I'm not sure what does."

Seamus grinned at her, "And when you are as shit-faced as you plan to be, who do I need to call to drag you out of my pub?"

Hermione laughed, "Harry will be fine. Now, my Irish friend, I think it's about time I became reacquainted with my favourite Russian and my favourite Mexican."

Seamus placed two shot glasses in front of her and she gave him an irritated look, "Hey, let's just start off slow," he told her, "I really don't need to be cleaning vomit from my carpet before the after work crowd wander in."

She scowled at him, but conceded the point, watching as he filled the glasses; one vodka, one tequila, "One at a time, okay." Seamus warned her, "No vomiting."

"Fine," she said tilting the small glass towards him, telling him _cheers_ , and downing it.

It wasn't until the vodka hit her stomach that she realised it had been hours since she'd eaten. And really, what she had eaten wasn't all that much. She'd consumed yoghurt and fruit at six-thirty that morning after going for her usual five-thirty run. _Up at the butt-crack of dawn_ , was her motto, she had too much shit to get done to lay in bed all morning. But said food – or serious lack thereof - probably wasn't going to soak up any significant amount of alcohol. Seamus may have been right; vomit might be on the horizon. She picked up the second glass and threw it down her throat. The burn from the first shot had hardly dissipated and she shook her head as the fire shot down her throat and scorched into her chest. She put her fist to her mouth, hoping that her stomach would welcome the _heart and soul of Mexico_ and wouldn't prove Seamus correct and bounce straight back.

Seamus' mouth twitched trying not to laugh, "You okay?"

"Fine," Hermione gasped.

"Here," He said, handing her a glass of what she hoped was water, "Wash it down with this."

She drained the glass, and was already certain that she would be paying for this little exercise in the morning. But hey, she didn't have a job to go to, right? Seamus refilled the glasses and she downed them both in quick succession.

"More," she said to Seamus, who filled the two glasses in front of her again. She downed the vodka, and then picked up the tequila, " _Don Julio_ , I believe you are about to become my new best friend." She threw her head back and downed the shot, coughing and spluttering as the tequila slid down her throat. Elegant? No. But when was tequila ever elegant?

Seamus placed another glass of water on the bar in front of her, "How many of these do you actually think you can drink?"

"That sounds like a challenge," Her head was already starting to swim, "How do you feel about making cocktails?"

Seamus laughed and reached beneath the bar, "My knowledge of cocktails." He said holding a dusty old book up to her.

Hermione took it from him, blew the dust from the cover, and picked a random page, "A long Island Iced Tea, good sir," She said and turned the book to face him. He scanned it and then looked up at her.

"Um, so you just want more alcohol then? Because seriously, that's all this is."

"Alcohol it is then!" She laughed and slapped her hand on the bar.

And the routine followed. Hermione randomly chose a drink from the book, Seamus attempted to make it and she drank it. He did make her drink water between each drink, so she guessed she had him to thank for keeping her hydrated. She had no idea what time it was, and had no idea just how much alcohol she had consumed, but Seamus had obviously thought it enough as Harry and Ginny arrived to pick her up. Of course, she insisted that they have drink with her but Harry politely declined. He also told her she should probably get coffee to go.

She slid off her seat, hugging Ginny and Harry, telling them both just how much she loved them and stumbled towards the door, Ginny and Harry flanking her. They managed to get her into their car, and she slumped across the back seat.

She lifted her head when the car doors closed, "I got fired," she slurred, "Stupid, fucking fired."

Ginny reached back and squeezed her leg, "Hey, you can sleep this off and tell us all about it tomorrow."

* * *

Hermione's head was pounding and her eyes refused to open. Her mouth felt as though it was stuffed with cotton balls. Something was wrong. Her bed felt hard and cold. And her pillow? Well, she wasn't even sure it was a pillow. She forced one eye open, and got a blurred view of her toilet. _What the hell?_ She tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it. The room began to spin, and her stomach tried to exit through her throat. She closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling to pass.

When she finally dared to, she rolled onto her back, opened her eyes, and realised she was laying on her bathroom floor. The pillow she didn't recognise was a rolled up towel, and there was a quilt thrown over her. Vague recollections of the previous day's proceedings swam through her head like a cutting room floor. Pieces were missing, and _holy crap_ , she hoped they weren't bad.

She pushed herself to sitting position, and only after the quilt slid down and pooled at her waist did Hermione realise how very few clothes she was wearing. Her bra and knickers were all that were covering her, and she had no idea how she got that way. She closed her eyes, and tried to remember, but she was drawing a blank. Placing one hand on the toilet bowl and one hand on the basin, she dragged herself off the floor and after the wave of dizziness passed, headed for her bed. She flung herself onto it and closed her eyes trying to remember the last god knows how many hours, and groaned at the mariachi band that was currently playing in her head.

"Shit," she said quietly when the sudden memory of her firing climbed out of her brain and waved at her. And then a sudden rush of nausea hit her and she was back in the bathroom, curled over the toilet bowl and still with no idea who had put her there in the first place – in the state of undress she was in she certainly hoped that it was Ginny or Pansy. She stayed on the floor for who knows how long, which gave her plenty of time to ponder her life and what exactly she was going to do. She pressed her face to the cool tiles, rueing the fact that she had left the quilt that had been draped over her in the bedroom and hoped that no one would actually find her near naked on the bathroom floor. She closed her eyes and sighed, sure there was another bottle of Vodka somewhere. And as soon as her stomach decided it was empty enough, she would start to fill it again.

She knew alcohol wasn't the answer, but right at that moment, she didn't care.

* * *

And that was how Hermione found herself staring out the window, feeling sorry for herself, three days after she had been fired. Ginny and Harry and Pansy, her three closest friends had all called, left messages, texted her, and she was sure at one stage she heard a loud banging on her door but completely ignored it. She didn't want to cut her friends out, but she just couldn't face anyone right now. She needed to work through the complete and utter betrayal that she felt on her own, and while she knew that they would be sympathetic, she really didn't need them to cry alongside her right now. She just wanted to be miserable and alone.

A loud hammering knock broke into her thoughts, making her jump. The rain was still streaming down the window, the large drops making that pitter-patter sound as they hit the glass.

"Hermione Granger. Open this door!" Molly Weasley bellowed from the other side, "Now!"

Hermione sat stock still, hoping she would go away, but the hammering continued.

"Hermione Jean Granger, I know you're in there. If you don't open this door this instant, there will no longer be a door to open!"

Her middle name, and a threat to kick down the door, she was serious.

Molly Weasley was her best friend Ginny's mother. Molly had taken ownership of her when her parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was nineteen years old. Hermione didn't really need for someone to take over the role of parent, but since Molly had seven children of her own, she was of the opinion that one more wouldn't make much difference. Besides, Molly told her, she needed a mother to keep her in line.

Hermione was an only child of only children, which seemed to be a tradition throughout her family. She had no living relatives that she could call family, so she was stuck with the Weasley's. And it was much to Molly's annoyance that her twin sons, Fred and George, had taken her under their wings and encouraged her to be the smart mouth she had become.

And of course, now that she was thirty, it was Molly's firm belief that at her age Hermione should not be single. So what she liked to call _Molly's Parade of Undesirables_ became a common occurrence. Along with the many various, somewhat eclectic other male's Molly had thought would be suitable for her, (Hermione wasn't sure what Molly thought her tastes in men were), she had attempted to match her up with her youngest son Ronald, since they were the same age. But Molly seemed to forget that they had known each other since kindergarten and Hermione had absolutely no interest in him romantically whatsoever. And in the state she was currently in, she certainly hoped that this wasn't the latest episode in the parade.

Hermione leaped off the window seat, slid across the polished wood floor in her stocking feet, flung the door open, and yelled, "What the hell do you want, Molly?"

"Oh, what a delight you are," Molly snarked back at her, "I thought you might be dead. You certainly smell like it." She pushed past her, her nose in the air. Ginny followed and was grinning manically. They had been best friends since they were small. The two had grown up as neighbours, which was convenient since Hermione's mother insisted that she be surrounded by other children, and the Weasley's certainly made up the numbers. Ginny was the only girl in her family, and being the only girl and having six older brothers, Ginny had desperately craved female company since she was small and had often hidden away at Hermione's house when they were growing up.

Hermione shut the door and banged her forehead into it, repeatedly, muttering "Why? Why? Why?"

"Oh, quit with the dramatics." Molly muttered.

She followed them into the kitchen, and watched as Molly dumped the shopping bags on the counter and was fairly certain that there would be absolutely nothing in them that she would eat. Molly had, let's just say, interesting tastes in food.

Molly took stock of the empty bottles on the counter, doing a quick count, "Well, it's a good thing I came over. It seems you may need solid food after what appears to be a three day liquid diet." She made herself at home in the kitchen, while Hermione slumped onto one of the bar stools at the counter.

"It was only two days, thank you very much. I just didn't clean up yet. And you know I'll never eat any of this crap," Hermione said.

"Crap?" Molly huffed indignantly, "You should be so lucky to eat this."

Hermione made a face, "Lucky to what? Survive?" She ducked as Molly threw an apple at her.

"I told you that smart mouth of yours would get you in trouble one day missy, and what happened? You got fired."

"No, Lavender and her boobs got me fired, not my smart mouth."

Molly had been warning her about her _smart mouth_ since she could remember, but so far, no trouble had come her way. Hermione's own mother had warned her often enough about it – her dad just laughed and thought her hilarious, telling his wife to not squash their daughter's insightful, imaginative and determined nature – and Molly just picked up where her mother had left off. Hermione refused to count her firing as trouble, since she put the blame solely on the person responsible – Lavender. And besides, in her opinion, she didn't have a smart mouth anyway, preferring to call it _politely correcting people when they were wrong_.

"So we've heard what the town knows, but what did she actually do?" Ginny asked.

"Got the girls out and flashed them in Don's face," Hermione shrugged a shoulder, "I'm fairly certain he would have had to go home at lunch time to change his pants."

Ginny screwed up her face and then laughed, "Eww! Thanks for the visual."

Molly pursed her lips, in that disgusted, motherly way, "Girls," she warned, "You're not children, acting a little more grown up would be more appropriate."

"Oh come on mum, you despise that man as much as the rest of the town," Ginny said, "And Hermione's right, Lavender's boobs would be the only action he would have seen in his entire life."

Molly's lips twitched, and Ginny and Hermione both waited for the laughter. But they were disappointed when Molly schooled her features.

"Come on Molly that was a little bit funny." Hermione coaxed.

Molly narrowed her eyes, about to comment and thought better of it, "Well, I'll just cook dinner then, will I?"

"Will I be able to eat what you're cooking?" Hermione gave her a sweet, sarcastic grin. Molly was not impressed with the fact that she was a vegetarian, and her attempts to cook concoctions of vegetables that did not belong together convinced Hermione that it was her way of pushing her back to the carnivorous way of life.

"Of course you will. But unless you actually try it, you'll never know," she huffed and turned to the stove, flicking the switch making the gas burner jump to life. "Now go get dressed."

Hermione trudged into the bedroom, cursing under her breath at having her house invaded by mothers that weren't hers. She stripped off, and had to admit that Molly may have been right, three days in the same clothes and she did in fact smell a little ripe. She stood under the shower for what was apparently an eternity, since Ginny was pounding on the door telling her to hurry her arse up. She dried off and pulled on clean pyjama pants and a ratty old t-shirt, returning to the kitchen, and she had to admit, whatever Molly was cooking smelled pretty good. She would just have to close her eyes when she ate it.

Molly gave her the once over, "I thought I told you to get dressed?"

"What?" Hermione looking down at herself; pyjama pants with the Cookie Monster plastered all over them and an old Rolling Stones t-shirt that had a rip down one side. "This is dressed."

Molly rolled her eyes, "When did you last leave this flat?"

Hermione shrugged and looked at Ginny, "Well," Ginny said looking as if she was calculating the days that had passed, "Seamus called Harry and me to collect you from the pub three days ago. Have you been anywhere since?"

She shook her head, "Nope. But apparently I had more alcohol in my cupboards than I thought."

"Well, you should probably go outside, I think some fresh air might be good for you." Molly suggested.

"So, I'll open a window." Hermione was one of the few people, aside from Fred and George, who wouldn't let Molly control every aspect of her life. Answering back was something that just happened when she was around her. Molly just seemed to bring out the worst in her and she just couldn't seem to help herself.

Molly threw her hands in the air, and muttered something about brats and their smart mouths under her breath.

"Sorry, didn't catch that." Hermione crossed the room to open the window.

"Never mind." Molly muttered and continued cooking.

"So," Ginny began, "What are you planning to do with yourself?"

Hermione's three day vodka-tequila -gin fuelled binge came with what she thought to be the most brilliant idea she had ever come up with: a bookshop. She would buy an empty shop front and fortunately for her, the shop that was below her flat had only recently been vacated and now stood empty. She would speak to the owners as soon as she could and buy it from them. And unlike Flourish and Blotts that was steeped in archaic traditions, would add a coffee machine and attract a bigger and better clientele. And the best part? She'd put that slimy bastard out of business. In fact, her goal was to have Lavender (and possibly Ernie, the jury was still out on him) come begging for a job and she would tell her in no uncertain terms, _no._ Well, in her head it was _fuck off_ , but outwardly she would be polite.

"That sounds awesome," Ginny said, "Let me know if I can help. I'd love to put that slimy bastard out of business."

Molly frowned, "Is that really a good idea?"

Ginny turned on her, "And why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, it's just that Mr Blotts has had that book shop for years, and his family would be distraught if it went out of business."

"And the fact that he fired me means nothing to you?" Hermione was incredulous. _Molly was taking his side?_

"Of course it does, but maybe you could think of another shop. Maybe just a nice cafe, not books." Molly said.

"No," she said firmly, "A book shop. It's what I've dreamed about my entire life, and maybe this was the kick in the arse I needed to do it. And if I happen to put Flourish and Blotts out of business in the process, well, that will be a bonus."


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's one person drunken pity party was two years ago. Her idea of opening her own book shop had come to fruition, and she was now the proud owner of _A New Chapter,_ her very own and very successful bookshop.

She had cursed herself during the process for not becoming her own boss much sooner. But while she'd had the funds to get started - she been left with a sizeable inheritance and a large insurance payout from her parents - it had by no means been an easy ride. At first the book vendors and publishers were reluctant to deal with her, Don Blotts' threats had them spooked, so she sought out independent sellers, who were more than happy to deal with her, since Don refused to deal with anything and anyone that wasn't mainstream. And of course, the town's folk absolutely refused to buy from her, mostly out of fear. But the coffee, cake and croissants slowly brought them through the door.

Hermione did have to thank Don for one thing though; since he thought it below him to deal with the book vendors himself, she had made some excellent contacts and was able to use them to her advantage. Once they'd realised the potential of some competition, and once they'd realised they could deal with someone that wasn't Don Blotts, they were more than happy to come to her and her little shop took off.

Don Blotts was furious, to say the least. His stranglehold on Grimsby's readers was all powerful, or so he had thought. All the ideas that she had had while she worked at Flourish and Blotts - all the ideas that Don had vetoed - she had implemented into her shop and they had all been a huge success. The coffee machine and couches had been the biggest hit; the two o'clock mums that needed that hit of caffeine before the school pick up thoroughly enjoyed the quiet spot to sit before the mad rush of children came crashing down on them. The children's corner had _Lego™_ and toys and books they were welcome to be read without purchase, and it was a popular spot for the non-school age children while their mothers drank coffee.

The banned book section had been a big hit. Hermione was sure that the townsfolk thought that they were doing something daring and risqué and maybe even breaking the law, which she found highly amusing. The folks that lived in Grimsby really didn't understand the concept, but she enjoyed that they were reading books that they had been told they shouldn't.

And the introduction of a Tuesday night book club (which she deemed appropriate since it was a drunken Tuesday night that she came up with the idea) was a huge hit. It started with only a group of five that met one Tuesday a month, but it had grown to almost seventy, and they had to split into four groups and meet _every_ Tuesday.

Her little shop had grown in size and popularity, putting Flourish and Blotts in the almost out of business category. Don was scrambling to catch up, installing his own coffee machine, but Lavender (yes, she was still there since she was unemployable anywhere else) couldn't make coffee to save her life, so it had been a miserable failure. And Don being the miserable tight arse that he was, refused to buy any sort of seating for his customers, so coffee really wasn't the best option anyway. In fact Hermione's shop had become so successful that she had bought the shop next door, thereby doubling her selling space, and she had also purchased the flat above the shop next door, and doubled her living space. She was happier than she had been in years.

Wednesday morning and the eight am rush had just passed and Hermione was under the counter with her arse in the air, trying to sort out a cable that had dislodged itself from the computer, when she heard the shop bell jingle. Assuming it was Missy, her coffee delivery girl, she yelled "Just shove it in the rear and I'll deal with it later."

She heard the distinct rumble of male laughter, while Pansy sniggered over the hiss of the milk steamer. That was definitely not Missy's laugh. She snapped her head up, completely forgetting that she was under the counter and smacked the back of her skull into the hard underside of it.

"Mother fucking shitting oww !" Hermione hollered grabbing the back of her head, rolling forward and thumping her forehead onto the floor, not even caring that her arse was back in the air. She groaned in agony, a sharp, painful throb pounded through her head and her eyes began to water.

"Nice," Pansy drawled sarcastically, "An excellent way to impress a new customer. Tell them to shove something in your rear, and then curse at them."

Pansy was her no nonsense, take no prisoners friend. Where Ginny was charming and sweet with the customers, taking her time and chatting politely with them, Pansy was straight to the point, efficiently dealing with customers to get them in and out of the shop as quickly as possible. And she happily took on the difficult customers – she took them as a personal challenge, truth be told - the ones who never bought books but instead came in only for the coffee and then complained about it. Those customers learned quickly to not piss Pansy off because if they did, she would none too politely tell them they were more than welcome to head to Flourish and Blotts and get themselves a cup of piss-tasting coffee brewed by the town tramp if they weren't happy with the service here.

"Shut up Pansy, that fucking hurt!" Hermione shuffled backwards on her knees, still holding her head, debating for a few beats if she should actually attempt to sit up, before doing so, slowly. She kept her eyes closed; sure if she opened them she would see cartoon birds circling her head.

"Are you okay?" The deep timbre of his voice had the butterflies stirring in her stomach and she hadn't even seen him yet. He could be as ugly as sin for all she knew, but that voice. Hmm.

"Um, I think so" she said gingerly touching the sizeable lump that had already formed on the back of her head.

"Don't move," he said, "Wait until the stars clear from your eyes."

Hermione sniggered, "Cartoon birds, actually."

He laughed, "You're making jokes, at least you're not concussed."

"Concussed?" She asked, slowly opening her eyes. There were no cartoon birds but there certainly were stars. She remained still for a few more seconds waiting for her vision to clear, she still couldn't see him since her back was turned but asked, "Are you a doctor?"

"Hell no!" He laughed, "A teacher, but I have a seven year old, so I deal with head bumps all the time."

Hermione gripped the edge of the counter and pulled herself to her feet and turned around, about to apologise for the colourful language, but heart stuttered and she was rendered speechless. She did manage to say a silent prayer of thanks to the good and great mother of all that is blonde and hot in this world for depositing this piece of perfection in front of her. And he was smiling at her, not seeming to be put off by her foul-mouthed outburst.

And it was one of those perfect smiles; perfect teeth, perfect curve of lips, and it was a smile that made it all the way to his eyes. He was dressed impeccably in tailored pants, a crisp white shirt and a tie that matched those smiling eyes - washed out blue, bordering on grey. And the chest and shoulders that that were hidden behind that button down were clearly well maintained. His hair was cut short, styled perfectly; neat and tidy in that way that made you want to run your fingers through it and mess it up. And of course, he was blonde. Her own personal Achilles heel; blonde hair.

 _A blonde Adonis walks into my shop and the first view of me he gets is my arse in the air?_ _Thank you universe_ , Hermione grumbled internally,

"Wow," Pansy said, "You managed to silence her. I'm guessing it's the blonde hair, she's a sucker for blondes."

Hermione felt her face heat up. She honestly didn't need enemies with the friends she had. She glared at Pansy, who shrugged and told her, _well, it's true,_ then turned back to her coffee machine (she had claimed it as her own when Hermione had hired her, and it was very rare that someone other than she or Ginny were allowed to touch it. It was even off limits to Hermione).

She cleared her throat, "Sorry about all that," she said, "I thought you were my coffee delivery girl."

"Hey, it's not every day you get such a colourful welcome when you buy coffee. I rather enjoyed it." Mr Tall, Blonde and Hot laughed, a deep sound that resonated through her, and had her legs feeling like jelly. _No, wait_ , that was probably the cracked skull she was sure she was now sporting. She leaned her hip against the counter anchoring herself so she wouldn't fall – the dizzy feeling still present.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I don't know you."

"No, you don't," He told her, "Why do you think you should?"

"I know everyone in this town," she said.

"Well, maybe I'm not from this town," he said with a wink, "I might be just passing through."

"It takes about eight and a half seconds to pass through this town," Grimsby had 3 sets of traffic lights, all on the main street, and if you got them on a good day, that eight and half seconds could easily be four, "So there's absolutely no reason for anyone to stop here. So why would you?"

"Maybe I'm not stopping here," he grinned again, and she hoped that he was only just passing through, she was sure she wouldn't cope with this roguish smirk everyday without jumping him, "Maybe I saw this place and simply needed coffee."

She studied him, there was something. She wasn't sure what, but it was something, "No," she said shaking her head, "If you were just passing through, you'd have your child with you."

Mr Tall, Blonde and Hot looked at Pansy, "Part time detective?"

Pansy laughed and informed him, "This one knows everything and everyone."

"Well then, I'm pleased to inform you that the high school needs a new English teacher, and I'm it."

They shouldn't have been surprised. Mrs Sprout, the much loved and much feared English teacher had finally, at age 80, decided to retire. The school board had been pushing for it for the last few years, but she had refused and told them in no uncertain terms that she would retire when she was damned well ready to and not a moment before. She looked set to proceed for another year, but failing health at the start of the new school year had put an end to it. And a mad scramble to find a suitable replacement had ensued. And Hermione had to remember to thank the school board personally for the brilliant replacement.

He smiled again. And oh, that flip that her stomach did most certainly wasn't caused by the bump on her head. He extended his hand across the counter, "Draco Malfoy."

Hermione took his hand and shook it, "Holy crap, your hands are freezing!" She told him, her thumb dragging across his skin as he pulled away, apologising. She waved it away, "Hermione Granger," She said smiling, "And this is Pansy, you'll get used to her."

He grinned at Pansy, "This is your place?"

"Nope," Pansy said thumbing at Hermione, "She's the boss, the foul-mouthed, arse-flashing boss. What can I get for you?"

"Flat white, thanks" he said and turned back to Hermione, "So, Hermione, daughter of Menelaus and Helen, how is it that you came to own a book store?"

"You know your Greek Mythology," Hermione said, ignoring his question owing to the fact she was duly impressed at his reference. So few people knew the origins of her name, they mostly just thought it odd. Her book loving, history loving father had named her as such. When he and her mother couldn't agree on a name for her they flipped a coin, resulting in her father winning and naming her Hermione. And the curious looks and questions she got wouldn't have changed with her mother's choice, had she won the coin toss. Instead of being named Hermione she would have been _Aspen_ , her nature loving mother's favourite tree. So she would have been screwed either way when it came to names.

"Teacher," he reminded her.

"English teacher," she countered, "Not history."

He looked back at Pansy, "Is she serious?"

Pansy gave him a serious look, "Oh, she is. You get things right with this one, or you get sent to the corner to think about what you've done."

He looked back at Hermione, a thoughtful look on his face, and then he narrowed his eyes and smirked, " _You were rightfully mine, from a long time ago. Your father promised you to me when he left for Troy but being the liar that he is, he offered you to Neoptolemos when he arrived in Troy in return for the captured the city_."

Both Hermione and Pansy were looking at him slack jawed, "Pretty rough translation from Euripides, but pretty close," he winked at them, "I like history, not just English." He picked up his coffee and placed money on the counter, "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Fuck," Pansy whispered as left the shop, both admiring the rear view as much as the front, "The hottest guy on the planet walks in here and flirts with you, using Greek Mythology no less, and then promises to return the very next day. I think your luck is about to change, my friend."

"He has a child, which probably means he has a wife." Hermione pointed out, her voice angrier than she meant it to be.

Pansy, recognising that Hermione's temper was simply masking her immediate attraction to the new stranger, simply smirked at her, "No wedding ring." she said.

"Of course you'd notice that." Hermione rolled her eyes, "And you don't have to be married to get pregnant, grandma. Clearly there's a woman in his life, seven year olds don't just pop out of nowhere."

"Single dad," Pansy countered then wiggled her eyebrows, "Hot single dad. Hot, blonde single dad."

"And why would _that_ make him any different than all the others?"

"Tell me your stomach didn't do a flip at the sight of him." Hermione's face flushed pink and Pansy grinned at her, "Just as I thought."

Hermione sighed, "Pansy, all he told us is that he has a seven year old, and he's a teacher. He could be a pathological liar for all we know, or a serial killer."

"Oh come on!" Pansy said laughing, "Serial killer aside, there's potential there."

"Potential for what?"

Pansy's smile stretched a mile wide, "The potential to get you laid."

"Excuse me!?" Hermione choked out.

"It's been three years since Oliver the arsehole and it's about time you cleared out those cobwebs."

Hermione glared at her, and held her hand up, "This conversation is over."

Pansy laughed as Hermione walked away, "Oh, it so is not."

* * *

"I thought you said coffee dad, this place has books." Hermione heard a young voice ask. And she smiled; it was rare that the young boys in town were remotely interested in books, football and video games being much more important. So she was delighted to hear the excited notes in this young person's voice.

It was Thursday morning and she was tidying the shelves in the back of the shop leaving Pansy and Ginny to work the counter. She'd taken Advil for the resulting headache after yesterdays' tangle with the underside of the counter, and was content to be concentrated on the quiet of the shelves, rather than the constant chatter of caffeine needy customers. Pansy, Ginny and Katie knew she preferred to be with the books anyway, so they were more than happy to make coffee and deal with the mad rushes throughout the day – mornings, lunchtime and before school pick-up were their busiest times and she gladly handed the front counter to her employees.

There was a familiar laugh, the one that made her stomach flip yesterday, and was doing the same today, "They have both."

"Awesome! Can I look at the books?" the child asked, and she assumed it was _the_ seven year old.

"Okay, but we can't be long," that deep voice told him and she smiled. Ten minutes the previous morning and his voice was seared onto her brain, "We have to get to school."

She heard him order a flat white – two days in a row, she thought, hopefully he'll become a regular – heard Pansy and Ginny talking to him, Pansy making the introductions, _Oh,_ you're _the new English teacher at the High School_? Ginny asked and Hermione could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

She could just imagine the conversation that would have taken place between her two friends after work the previous night. The pair had been enthusiastically, (bordering on aggressively) encouraging her to 'get out there and meet someone new' for months. But the burn from her failed marriage was still raw, even though it had been three years since he had left, and it was that burn had made her overly cautious when it came to dating.

And then she heard _she's in the back, kid's books I think._ And she told herself to fire her friends and hire a whole new staff. A staff who wouldn't rat her out to hot blondes that made her stomach do back flips.

"Excuse me, do you work here?" A voice startled her and she turned to see a miniature version of the man who visited the shop yesterday morning, all blue-grey eyes and blonde hair, and _yes_ , she told herself, _this was definitely the seven year old_.

"I do work here," she said with a smile, "In fact this is _my_ shop."

"Really?" his eyes were wide, almost comically so and she answered in the affirmative, "You own a book shop, that's so cool. I love books. So does my dad."

"And I'm glad to hear that," Hermione couldn't help but smile at the boy, and asked, already assuming the answer, "Is your dad here with you?"

The boy smiled, a smile that was identical to his father's, lighting up his entire face and making his eyes sparkle, "Yeah, he's just getting coffee and then we have to go to school. He's a teacher."

"Hello," Draco said as he approached, stopping to grip his son's shoulder and watching him proudly as he politely conversed with her, "How's your head?"

Hermione sniggered, "Fortunately my skull didn't crack open as I suspected it had, but I am sporting a rather sizeable lump and a slight headache," she shrugged, "It's why I'm not at the counter today. They don't trust my impaired judgment. That and they don't like me being up there anyway."

"I thought you were the boss?" he said and Hermione laughed, telling him that her boss status made no difference to Pansy or Ginny, "Well, I'm glad to hear there's no permanent damage. You've met my son, I see."

Hermione gave him a look of mock surprise, "Oh really, this is your son? I would never have guessed."

"This is Scorpius," Draco told her, smiling down at his son.

"Hi Scorpius, it's lovely to meet you." she said, still astounded at just how much this child looked like his father, "I'm Hermione."

Scorpius looked up at Draco, a huge smile on his face, "That explains it."

Hermione frowned; she'd missed something here, "Explains what?" she asked.

"Usually people look at me all weird when I tell them my name, but I guess you're probably the same." He explained.

She laughed, "You're right. Hermione isn't the most common name around."

"Neither is Scorpius," he looked at his father with what Hermione assumed was the usual look of disgust whenever his name was spoken about.

"What? My parents named me _Draco_ ," Draco said, "Besides, you have an awesome name, how many other Scorpius's have you ever met."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at what Hermione assumed was the usual argument for naming his son as such, "Can I look at more books?"

Draco glanced at his watch, "Unfortunately no. We have to go. We can come back tomorrow afternoon and look then."

"Will you be here?" Scorpius asked Hermione and she was impressed that he hadn't even flinched at Draco's _no_. She was used to hearing whines and tantrums, so this was a nice change.

"Well, it's my shop, so yes. I will be here." She smiled at him, wanting to reach out and scuff his mass of blonde hair, but keeping herself in check, she'd only just met him.

"Brilliant," he said.

"I agree, brilliant," Draco said, "We'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione smiled and said goodbye, watching them both until they left the shop. She continued to tidy the neatly stacked shelves, avoiding returning to the counter and the watchful gazes of her friends. She sighed and shook her head. Why was she not surprised that he had managed to produce the most adorable child she'd possibly ever seen (with the exception of James, because Ginny would kill her if she thought otherwise)?

She moved further into the back of the shop, attempting to hide from Pansy and Ginny, so lost in her own thoughts to notice her friends watching her as she tidied the shelves she'd already attended.

* * *

Friday morning and she was disappointed. No blonde English teacher showed up for coffee. It had only been two days and barely fifteen minutes of conversation and she already looked forward to seeing him. She'd left Ginny and Katie at the counter and stalked off into the shelves, taking her frustrations out on the non-existent dust on the books.

She shouldn't be mad, she really shouldn't. She had no right to be mad. And if she was truly honest with herself she had nothing to actually be mad about. This man was nothing to her, and likewise she with him. But she couldn't seem to shove the feeling of him away. She didn't want to romanticise it –whatever _it_ was, because two days really didn't amount to much, if anything at all - but the instant attraction to him, the feeling of familiarity had overwhelmed her and he had consumed her thoughts from the second he walked into her life.

And her sullen mood hadn't gone unnoticed. Ginny had been watching her watch the clock. She had been all morning, anticipating his arrival. But as it passed 8.45, she knew he wouldn't be there. She headed into her office at the back of the shop to sulk, not quite slamming the door, but shutting it harder than absolutely necessary. She absently flicked through the pages of invoices on her desk, not really taking any notice of what was on them, telling herself she was being ridiculous, that she was a grown damned woman and she didn't need these stupid teenage feelings that were making her life a confusing mess

A quiet knock startled her from her brooding, and she glanced at the clock when Ginny entered, a steaming cup of her favourite Pear and Ginger tea in her hand. It was 9.30, she'd been sulking for forty five minutes, and she berated herself for being so childish.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Ginny asked and Hermione mumbled _nothing_ , "Hermione, you were watching the clock all morning and now you're out here sulking. Were you expecting something, or someone, this morning?"

She looked up at Ginny's smirking face, "Really? You're giving me shit about this?"

Ginny held her hands out and shrugged, "How can I give you shit about this when I don't even know what this is?"

Hermione shot her an incredulous look, "Really? You're telling me that you and Pansy haven't had one conversation about this?"

"Are we talking about the hot blonde that has been in the last two days but not today?"

Hermione sighed, "Two days. _Two_ _days_ , Gin and I've turned into a simpering teenager. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

Ginny hugged her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, "It's been three years and he's blonde and you're horny."

"Be serious." Hermione couldn't help but laugh, her friend knew her all too well.

"I am," Ginny said, "There's no reason you shouldn't ask him out, and scratch that itch."

"Um, it's been two days," Hermione reminded her, "Actually, it's not even that. It's more like fifteen minutes. And he has a child. And possibly a wife or girlfriend, so a relationship with him can't happen."

"It doesn't have to be a relationship you know that, right? It can just be sex. A one nighter would do you a world of good."

"Child. Wife. Girlfriend. Did you hear any of that?"

Ginny grinned at her, "Nope. Pansy asked and there's no wife or girlfriend."

Hermione's face went red, "Pansy asked him? _Pansy_? No, she didn't?" Pansy wasn't known for her tact and Hermione was embarrassed simply by the thought of her asking him.

"Oh she most certainly did," Ginny laughed at the look of horror on Hermione's face, "And I believe he told his son they would be back on Friday afternoon," Ginny pointed out, "So his lack of appearance this morning probably just means he'll be here later. So maybe you can stop sulking."

Hermione was surprised, curious as to what the story was. She had been completely taken with him from the moment she saw him and wondered who would willingly give up the opportunity to be with him – if that was the case. But then maybe the pretty exterior was all there was. Maybe it was hiding a complete arsehole, and she'd had more than here share of those, and she certainly wasn't in the market for another. She toyed with the mug that Ginny had placed on her desk, trying to calm the jumble of feelings that swirled inside her, Ginny's words playing over and over in her head; _No wife, No girlfriend._

Hermione looked up at Ginny and immediately regretted doing so. Her life-long friend knew her all too well and was currently staring straight at her, a knowing smirk on her face. She quickly looked back down, shaking her head, "When did I turn into a girl, with stupid girl feelings?" Hermione grumped.

Ginny laughed, "Oh, my friend. It's been far too long since you had stupid girl feelings. It will be fun to watch this."

* * *

"How are my two favourite girls?" Harry asked as he walked through the door later that afternoon. Hermione and Katie smiled and said they were both fine, Ginny just shook her head. He leaned across the counter and kissed her, "And my favourite wife?"

"You know," Ginny mused, "I often think its adorable this whole routine you do when you're here, but more often I don't."

Harry laughed, "In that case. I'll just have to keep doing it until you think it's adorable every time."

Hermione knew that as much as Ginny whinged about Harry, she was as equally in love with him. She loved watching her two best friends together, she always had. They had been together since they were in their mid-teens and they were made for each other; Harry's impulsive and adventurous nature merged perfectly with Ginny's calm and sensible one. No one was at all surprised when Harry joined the police force and they were even less surprised when his determined nature helped him to race through the ranks.

"Woah," came a small voice, "Dad, I think he's _The Flash_."

"Scorpius!" Draco exclaimed, gripping his son's shoulder and then looked at Harry, "Sorry, he's superhero obsessed."

The three women were doing their best to not laugh at the expression of complete awe on Scorpius's face as he stared at Harry's forehead, Harry was grinning smugly. He squatted down in front of Scorpius, lowering his voice and making a show of rubbing his finger across the scar on his forehead, "Well, I can't tell you if I am, but I also can't tell you if I'm not." He gave Scorpius a knowing wink, and nodded at him.

Scorpius's eyes went even wider and he looked up at Draco, "See, I told you."

Draco looked doubtful, "I don't know, he never said he _was_."

Scorpius frowned at him and lowered his voice, "He's _not_ allowed to tell us, Dad."

Draco's mouth twitched and it took all he had to not laugh at his son, "Well, I guess you're right. But since we know, we can't tell anyone either."

Scorpius grinned at his father, "D-uh! I know that. Hi Hermione!" he said and wandered off into the book shelves.

"Sorry about that," Draco said to Harry, "Seven year olds really don't have a filter, as I'm finding out more and more."

"No apologies needed," Harry laughed, "I have a seven year old of my own...he's never called me _The Flash_ though."

"Please tell me there at least an interesting story behind that?" Draco said nodding towards Harry's forehead. The peals of laughter from behind the counter told him there was.

"Yeah, I dodged a bullet." Harry said grinning.

"If that bullet was a toilet bowl and you were drunk." Hermione cackled.

At his stag do three weeks before his own wedding, a very drunken Harry stumbled into the toilets at the local pub and managed to tumble headfirst into a toilet bowl. Eight stitches and a furious bride later, resulted in a very odd, lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead and Harry's hair being styled to cover it for wedding photos.

"I'm happy to go with the bullet story," Draco told him, "I was there and I saw the whole thing."

Harry laughed and then grinned at the three women, "I like this guy."

Hermione kicked Ginny in the ankle before she could make a comment, reading the exact thought that was going through her head - _You're not the only one_.

"Harry, this is Draco Malfoy, the new English teacher at the High School," Hermione made the introductions, "Draco this is Harry Potter, the local police sergeant, and Ginny's other half."

The two men shook hands and Harry's eyes flicked to Ginny. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at the silent conversation between the two. Clearly Harry was asking if this was _the guy_ , and Ginny's tiny nod answered the question.

"These two, Dad," Scorpius said placing two books on the counter. Hermione picked them up and smiled, _The Graveyard Book_ by Neil Gaiman, and Rick Riordan's _The Lightning Thief._

"Excellent choices, my young friend," Hermione told him, and then gave him a narrow glance, "Are you sure you're old enough to read these?"

"He'll have these read before next Friday," Draco told her, and handed his credit card to Katie, "He reads at least two books a week, it's going to cost me a fortune coming here."

"And we're happy to take that fortune from you," Hermione said smiling at the boy who kept glancing sideways at Harry, she lowered her voice to a whisper and told him, "Scorpius, you can call him Harry, he doesn't like people calling him _The Flash_ , since he needs to keep it secret."

Scorpius laughed, " _The Flash's_ name is Barry, not Harry. And I know he's not _The Flash_. His scar is cool though."

"You got me," Harry laughed and scruffed the boy's hair, making Hermione's heart ache with want to do it herself, "No, I'm not _The Flash_ but I am the police, so watch out."

He looked at Hermione for confirmation and she nodded and handed him the books she put into a bag, "He's a big softie though, so don't let him scare you."

Ginny handed Draco his coffee and the two blondes that had turned Hermione's world upside down smiled and bid them all farewell.

"And there's the smile we all love," Ginny said wrapping her arm around Hermione's shoulders, "I told you he'd be here."

Harry was looking at Hermione thoughtfully, "Ginny said he'd been making you smile. It's about time."

"I'm so glad my life is the subject of all your conversations," Hermione drawled, but she couldn't hide the smile Harry was talking about.

"Well, any man that can make you smile like that has my blessing," Harry told her. Hermione rolled her eyes, for an only child, she had more _brothers_ than she needed.

"And you know what they say," Katie said, "'The best way to get over one man is to get under another one'."

"My thoughts exactly," Ginny said with a laugh, and then stopped when Hermione glared at her, "What?"

"I don't need to...get under a man...I'm well and truly over the last one," Hermione snarked at hem.

"Oh come on," Katie laughed, "You well and truly deserve a piece of that. What are you waiting for?"

"Um, I've known him for three days," Hermione said with an _implied d-uh,_ and began to walk away. She didn't need to talk about this again. Pansy and Ginny had made enough out of it already.

"You can walk away all you like, but we're not going to let up on it." Ginny sang.

Hermione groaned, and wondered just how hard it would be to find a whole new staff in the next 24 hours.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco had spotted Hermione across the bar, she had her back to him, but she was unmistakable. She was talking and laughing with Pansy and Ginny and Harry, and another man, who he assumed was Pansy's husband. He had become fairly well acquainted with the three women over the past few weeks, finding the three of them made for a forbidding team, bouncing off each other with snarky and sarcastic comments that clearly indicated they had been friends for most of their lives and he looked forward to his daily encounters with them.

Ginny and Pansy had invited him to the pub, telling him that they all met there to unwind every other week, and Hermione would be more than happy for him to join them. He was new in town after all, and he needed to make friends. He was actually nervous about being there. It wasn't a date or anything, they were all here and Pansy and Ginny had said it was just a casual Saturday night at the pub with new found friends. But he'd never seen Hermione, or any of them for that matter, outside the shop, not in this capacity anyway. He didn't want to seem too eager when they had asked him, but the prospect of seeing her outside the shop had his heart racing.

"Draco, glad you could make it." Pansy said with a smile, giving him the once over, "And in jeans, no less."

"Hi Pansy," he said looking down at himself, "Yeah, I'm not always suits and ties; sometimes I'm just a regular guy."

"This is Theo, my husband," she introduced the two men.

"So you're the hot, blonde teacher that's got everyone talking?" Theo laughed at the flush of pink that spread across his face, as he shook Draco's hand.

"Excuse me?" Draco said.

"These three certainly," Theo thumbed in the direction of the girls, "It's been an endless stream of chatter."

"We don't talk about him all the time," Pansy poked her tongue out at Theo, then grinned, "Well, not _all_ of us anyway." She touched Hermione's shoulder to get her attention "Hermione, look who's here."

Hermione slid from the stool to stand in front of him, a huge smile on her face, a large glass of filled with a golden colour liquid in her hand and he could smell the eye-watering aroma of alcohol emanating from it causing him to wonder exactly what it was that she was drinking, "Hey! What are you doing here?" She wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

Draco's eye's flicked up to Pansy and Ginny, both of whom weren't even trying to hide their laughter and he realised Hermione had no idea that he was going to be there, they'd completely set him up. "Pansy and Ginny invited me," He told her as she pulled back, "Apparently they told you I was coming."

"I had no idea, but I'm glad you did," She laughed, a girly giggle that he would never expect to come out of her and he wondered yet again just how much alcohol was in that glass, "Wow, you look different, all casual, not teacher-y at all."

He was dressed simply in jeans and a well fitted dark blue shirt, not the usual formal Mr Malfoy attire they were used to seeing him in. Her eyes flicked to his hair. The dark honey colour that made her stomach flip on a daily basis had been scruffed up and looked even more delicious than his regular serious teacher hair. She had to ball her fists to stop herself from running her fingers through it. Damned Ginny and Pansy! Had they told her, she wouldn't have ordered Seamus' now famous version of the Long Island Iced Tea, which he'd aptly named _The Tuesday Tea,_ a tribute to Hermione's drunken Tuesday afternoon two years earlier.

"You don't look too bad yourself." He shrugged, a crooked smile on his face. Her usually crazy, unkempt hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she was dressed casually in black skinny jeans and ballet flats. Her light blue sleeveless top clung tightly to her, showing off her tiny waistline, and since it had a plunging neckline, a significant amount of cleavage as well.

"Where's Scorpius tonight?" Hermione asked, she had fallen completely in love with Draco's son and looked forward to his visits as much as Draco's.

"He's staying with his new best friend James at James's grandparent's house." Draco nodded at Ginny and Harry. Their boys had become friends at school, and even though he'd become fairly well acquainted with Ginny and Harry because of their children, he was still somewhat reluctant to leave his son with people he hardly knew. But Molly and Arthur had certainly been more than welcoming and reassured him that they were more than happy to have him stay the night. And watching Scorpius run off with James without a glance back when he had dropped him off had put him at ease.

"Ginny said they'd become friends," a dazzling smile lighting up her face, "I'm glad you could find a babysitter and enjoy a night off."

"Yes, well, Molly and Arthur were most insistent, and Scorp barely even said goodbye." He said sitting down next to her as she returned to the bar stool she had been sitting on, quickly averting his gaze and hoping that she hadn't noticed him ogling her chest like a horny teenager.

"Well, now that Molly and Arthur have him, you know you'll be hard pressed to get him back," Hermione laughed at the puzzled look on his face, "They figured that since they had seven children of their own, they'd have a house full of grandchildren, but they've been sorely let down."

Draco looked at Ginny and Harry, and Ginny nodded, "Mum thought we'd all have truck loads of children, but as it stands at the moment, she's still got more of her own than we've all had. Only four of us have had children, and the total is six, we've kind of let her down."

"She had seven? It's hard enough with one," Draco looked impressed, "How'd she cope?"

"She might be tiny, but you don't mess with Molly Weasley," Ginny informed him, and he laughed.

"What are you all drinking?" He asked the small group, and then ordered Jameson's for himself and Harry, and Theo ordered a beer, "Hermione?"

"Vodka, straight up." She said downing the remains of her _Tuesday Tea_ , Draco's eyes widening in surprise. Hermione frowned at him, "What?"

"Nothing," he said regaining his composure, "I figured you for...I don't know, a wine drinker, not the hard stuff."

"Ginny's our wine connoisseur," Pansy laughed, "This one can drink like nobody's business. Maybe you should get to know her better. You might find out there's more to Hermione Granger than meets the eye."

"Really Pans?" Hermione rolled her eyes, " _Really_?"

"Just helping a friend out." Pansy smirked and winked at her, leaving Draco to shake his head in disbelief.

"Pansy, what are you drinking?" he asked.

"No thanks, nothing for me. I have to work in the morning." She told him.

Draco looked surprised. He hadn't been into the shop on a Sunday, assuming that it wasn't open, "But it's Sunday."

"Yes, Mr Malfoy. It _is_ Sunday tomorrow; Ginny, Katie and I rotate the Sunday shift so someone here will actually have a day off," she nodded in Hermione's direction, "and it just so happens I lucked out this time. Besides my boss is sitting right beside you," she nodded pointedly at Hermione, "So I can't really pull a fake sick day can I?"

Draco laughed, "Tough boss, huh?"

Hermione winked at him, "Oh, you have no idea."

* * *

The easy conversation continued between them, but Draco's eyes kept darting to Hermione. He was hard pressed to believe that this beautiful woman sitting beside him was the same person he saw almost every day when he bought coffee. He'd only ever seen her in her regular polo shirt and khakis, with her hair all over the place, and even then he'd been attracted to her, but dressed as she was, beautiful didn't do her justice. Breathtaking was more fitting.

Hermione was momentarily distracted by some friends who had come over to say hello to her, and Draco took the opportunity to glance at Harry and Theo, his eyes going wide and shrugging his shoulders questioningly. Both men stepped up beside him, and Harry signalled Seamus for drinks and then looked over his shoulder at Draco.

"She's single," Harry said in a low voice and Draco's face flushed. Harry laughed, "Come on, it's exactly what you wanted to know."

"She's absolutely stunning." Draco replied in an equally low voice.

"Ah, that she is," Theo said with a knowing grin, "And Pansy tells me she thinks the same about you." Draco's eyes went wide, and Harry laughed.

"Watch yourself though," he said, "She's as smart as a whip, and she doesn't take shit from anyone."

"Yeah, I'm learning that on a daily basis," Draco replied, "These three can be somewhat intimidating when they get on a roll."

"Oh, here we go. Right on time to make a grand entrance. For fucks' sake!" Pansy snarled surprising Draco. He had suspected Pansy was someone not to be trifled with, but the current sneer on her face was almost terrifying.

"Stupid fucking twat." Ginny muttered. Draco looked at her surprised, he'd heard both Hermione and Pansy curse like sailors, but Ginny had always been nothing but polite. She looked at him and shrugged, "I'm not in the shop," she told him, "And I have six older brothers; I learned to swear in four different languages before I learned to walk."

Draco was curious about the looks of hatred on Pansy's and Ginny's faces, "There's a story here, I'm guessing." He said in a low voice.

"Lavender Brown," Pansy clarified, "The town tramp, I'm sure that you've met her."

Draco looked at the woman who was currently making her way across the room. A few people acknowledged her but mostly everyone seemed to be avoiding making eye contact, "Um, no. I don't think I've had the pleasure."

"Well, now's your chance," Ginny said with a laugh, seeing Lavender's eyes go wide the second she saw Draco, "She's spotted you, and I'm fairly certain she thinks your hers for the night."

Draco snorted a laugh, but Pansy shook her head, "She's serious. You heard me say town tramp, right?"

Draco looked to say something to Pansy, but never got the chance. "Hi, there," Lavender sung, sidling up to him at the bar, standing a little closer than was comfortable, her high pitched voice causing him to flinch, "I'm Lavender."

"Draco," Draco said with a look of distaste on his face that Lavender, who was so completely self absorbed entirely missed.

"I've not seen you before," she smiled at him with what Draco assumed was supposed to be a seductive smile, but truly wasn't, "Are you new in town?"

"I am," he said.

"Well, I'd be more than happy to show you around. I'm single, you know, so I have all the time in the world." Draco was sure this Lavender person thought she was being sweet and kind, but it came off as trashy, "What about you? Is there anyone special in your life?"

"Actually there is," an icy voice said from behind him. He turned to see Hermione and was taken aback. In the few weeks he'd known her, he'd discovered Hermione was a force to be reckoned with, but right now the glare in her eyes was even more terrifying than the look on Pansy's face. Her tone softened and she smiled up at him, "Hey babe, did you get me that drink? " Her hand came to rest low on his back. He wasn't sure what she was doing but the warmth radiating from her touch had his pulse racing.

Lavender looked between the two, her eyes going wide as Hermione leaned closer to him, her shoulder brushing against his, "Babe? Are you... _You're_ here with him?" she asked.

"And why is that a surprise?" Hermione raised an eyebrow, sliding her arm around Draco's waist, feeling his muscles clench and hoping she wasn't overstepping any boundaries.

"You're always here alone." She blurted out.

Hermione gave an airy laugh, "Oh Lav, you should really keep up with the gossip. As you can see, I'm _clearly_ _no_ t alone."

Pansy pressed a fist to her mouth, stifling the laughter at the look on Lavender's face. Theo turned to the bar, his shoulders shaking with his own silent laughter.

Draco was startled at Hermione's boldness, but managed to keep his composure. Not exactly sure of her reason for this display, but assuming it was mostly because of the woman standing in front of them, he played along winking at her and circling her shoulders with his arm, his thumb brushing over the bare skin on her arm. He locked his eyes on hers, "Sorry," he said, signalling Seamus for another round and kissing her temple "I was distracted. Theo and Harry were filling me in on all the locals. The friendly ones, the ones I should avoid..."

Lavender's eyes were wide, her face crimson. She choked out a cough, looking completely stunned at the pair in front of her. Draco wasn't sure if she was angry - or jealous - at his arm wrapped around Hermione, or embarrassed at Hermione making her look like the complete fool she appeared to be. He guessed the former, considering her eyes were focused on his hand that was slowly caressing Hermione's bare skin.

"Alright there Lavender?" Draco asked, "Sounds like there's something caught in your throat. Can we get you a drink?"

Ginny snorted and pressed her face to Harry's shoulder, silencing her laughter.

"Ah...no...that's...um...that's fine." Lavender stammered.

Hermione could feel the goose bumps raise on her flesh as Draco's thumb continued to brush across her skin. She hadn't expected him to play along in this manner, and she certainly hadn't expected her own response to the feel of his hand on her skin. It was warm and smooth, and felt comfortable, as though it belonged exactly where it was. She smiled inwardly, deciding that if Draco was playing along, she would take advantage and push Lavender's buttons even further. She leaned up and whispered in his ear. His eyes went wide and then he laughed, "Here, in the pub, with everyone watching?"

"And here I thought you'd be up for anything." Hermione said with a flirty little shrug.

"Oh, I am," Draco smirked at her, "I'm just not sure that's appropriate. What would everyone think?"

Lavender was glaring at them; she was clearly pissed at not winning Draco's attention. She thought so highly of herself, thought that every man in town wanted her, but what she failed to realise was that with her lack of scruples, the only thing she was known for was being a sure thing,

Hermione's mouth twisted into a wicked smile, "What's wrong Lav? Things didn't go your way again?"

Lavender huffed out a breath, "Just wait until he finds out about you." She sneered.

Draco felt Hermione tense against him, and he wondered if the fist he could feel curling against his thigh would actually do any damage. Going with what he knew about Hermione, he figured it would. He smiled at the insipid woman standing in front of them and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her back against him, his hand spreading protectively against her stomach, "I know all there is to know about her," he said in a voice so cold it shocked them all; they'd only ever seen polite, friendly Draco, "So if you believe there's anything you know about her that I don't, you'd be sorely mistaken."

Lavender actually had the decency to look apologetic, the coldness in Draco's voice obviously shocking her as much as it did the others, before she huffed out a breath and stuck her nose in the air and stalked away, ignoring the peals of laughter that followed her. It was mean, and childish, but then so was Lavender.

"Is there something you two need to tell us?" Ginny's eyes were wide, her gaze flicking between the two.

Hermione turned in Draco's arms; they looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Untwist your knickers Gin," Hermione said when she'd regained her composure, "I simply told Draco to look surprised and laugh, and then tell me I was being inappropriate."

"That was fucking perfect!" Pansy started laughing.

"I think your plan worked, she's clearly pissed off. And she's still watching you, both of you." Theo was nodding in the direction Lavender had stalked off in. They saw her on the opposite side of the bar, still fuming. And it appeared that several others had noticed the show and were smirking at her also.

Hermione grinned up at Draco, "Maybe we should up our game. Really piss her off."

He frowned at her, "What do you-" She cut him off, kissing him. It was quick, mere seconds, just a brushing of her lips on his and he knew in his heart it was only for show, but _holy hell!_ She still managed to take his breath away.

Hermione pulled back, not actually knowing what had come over her. She felt her cheeks heating up, indicating the few seconds had affected her as much as it had him, "Sorry," she whispered, "Too much?"

Draco swallowed, still not really comprehending what was going on here. This Lavender person was clearly a thorn in Hermione's side. He knew she had a sharp wit and didn't hold back, voicing her opinion on a regular basis, but this was unexpected. This was anger; this was hatred, something he'd not seen from her. Admittedly he'd only know her for a few weeks, but in that time he didn't see her as mean or spiteful. Whatever this Lavender person had done to her, it was clearly a significant issue.

"No, it's okay," he breathed, "Just unexpected."

Hermione's own breath came out shaky, her face still flushed, "Sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that we were...um...are... anything. I was just, um...trying to save you from...um, Lavender." she stammered.

A discreet cough broke their reverie, and they both turned to look. Their four companions were grinning at them. "Maybe we should just leave them to get better acquainted." Pansy said, elbowing Theo in the ribs.

Hermione, suddenly feeling very sober, stepped out of Draco's arms, not really wanting to, but the sensible part of her brain, the tiny sliver that remained anyway, was telling her to move before she did something they'd both regret. She pressed her hand to his chest, shooting Draco an apologetic smile, "Excuse us a minute, will you guys? Pans, Gin?" Hermione said and headed towards the ladies room. Draco watched as Ginny and Pansy linked arms, laughing as they walked away, his eyes dropping to Hermione's arse.

"Subtle mate, real subtle." Theo told him.

Draco's face flushed, his head snapping back to see Theo and Harry smirking at him, "Sorry, but how the hell is she single? The men in this town must be blind or stupid."

Harry and Theo shared a glance that Draco didn't miss, "She has to tell him," Harry warned Theo, "You can't."

"If he knows, he might not break her heart like the others have." Theo countered.

"No," Harry said firmly and then looked at Draco, "Um, there's a story," Harry winced, "But she has to tell you."

Theo nodded realising Harry was right, "Yeah , but you have to wait until she does. Don't ask her about it, she'll tell you when she's ready. And maybe she won't. Don't force it out of her."

"Is that a none too subtle threat?" Draco looked between the two, sensing a brotherly vibe coming off them both.

"No," Theo laughed, "She's more than capable of looking after herself. Just don't tell her we told you. She'll kill us. And if you break her heart, we'll kill you."

Draco smirked at the actual threat and asked, "Is she okay?"

Harry and Theo looked at each other. "She is now," Theo told him, "She's had some issues and struggled for a while, but once she worked her shit out, she just, I don't know...she turned into that."

"And that's all you're getting." Harry said, knowing that Draco was only asking out of concern, not as a way of escaping. Hermione wasn't his sister but she may as well have been. They were both only children with dead parents, a bond so few shared, and it had brought them closer. They'd know each other almost their entire lives so Harry knew her as well as anyone and he saw in her face something he hadn't seen from her in a long time when she'd kissed Draco, and the look on Draco's face after she'd kissed him had proven that there were mutual feelings between the two

Draco nodded, "And Lavender is a part of it?"

They both laughed, "Oh hell no!" Theo chuckled, "That's a whole other story, one that's much more entertaining and one I'm sure you'll hear before the nights out."

While this small group of new acquaintances were doing their best to make him feel welcome, Draco suddenly realised just how hard it was to be the new guy in town. These people had known each other their entire lives and he wasn't sure he'd ever fit in when there was so much history between them all. They all had stories, and Hermione's was obviously something big. But he hoped he would get the chance to be a part of their world, be a part of _her_ world, if she would let him.

"Well, whatever the issue is, it doesn't change the fact that she's simply stunning." He admitted freely.

"Yeah sure, she looks great now, but wait 'til you see her on a Sunday morning, she's not all that." Harry grinned, then his eyes went wide, realising what he had just said. "Um, shit I mean, um..."

Draco's face had flamed red, and Theo was laughing. He slapped Draco on the shoulder, "So this just got awkward, who wants a drink?"

* * *

Hermione stepped into the bathroom with Pansy and Ginny close behind her. She leaned back on the sink and huffed out a shaky breath. She glanced up at her two friends who were staring back at her with looks of utter disbelief on their faces.

"Do you want to tell us what the hell that was all about?" Pansy asked.

"I don't know what came over me." Hermione said pressing her fingertips into her forehead as if trying to push the image of her kissing Draco out of her mind.

"Well, Lavender will do that to you." Ginny said as she leaned back beside her, "But holy crap, you certainly took it to the extreme."

"Was it that bad?" Hermione asked with a grimace.

"Hell no! Not bad, not at all," Pansy reassured her, "Just unexpected."

"Unexpected that I turn into a teenager and flirt with the hottest guy in the room?"

Pansy glanced quickly at Ginny. They both had watched their friend's face light up each day when Draco walked into the shop, but they also knew it was extremely rare for Hermione to act like this, especially in public. After the string of heartbreaks she'd been through she'd built walls around herself, never letting anyone in and she always rejected any advances men made towards her. So to see her like this was somewhat of a shock.

"Flirt?" Ginny snorted a laugh, "Hell, if that's what you call flirting..."

Pansy's face had gone from disbelief to mischievous, "You think he's hot?"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. Her mind was reeling. Draco Malfoy. Draco. Malfoy. The high school English teacher who left his job at an exclusive private school and moved to small town all for the sake of more time with his son. The man who had walked into her life while her arse was in the air, swearing like a sailor and simply laughed it off. This man had put her into a spin. He had her stomach doing back flips every time she had seen him since he walked into her shop a month ago. She couldn't believe she'd flirted with him. Actually Ginny was right, flirt was probably inaccurate, attacked was probably more apt. And she had kissed him, and in public no less. The town gossips would have a field day with this.

"You know I do," she finally said.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Pansy asked her.

"Nothing," she said, "That kiss should never have happened. I don't know why I did it. He'll be just like Oliver. He won't want to be with me."

"Hey!" Ginny said, squeezing her shoulder gently, "Of course he will. He obviously likes you, and we know you like him. I've not seen you like this for a long time, my friend."

"You haven't seen me like what?"

"Happy and flirty. You're practically glowing." Ginny told her, "And you don't flirt with anyone. Ever."

Pansy took her hand, "Ginny's right, He wouldn't be here if he wasn't interested. And he certainly wouldn't have put on that little show with you," Hermione's cheeks went pink, "Talk to him. Get to know him. Give him a chance and hey who knows, you might just be surprised."

* * *

The guys had moved to the pool table when they emerged from the bathroom, Hermione noticed that Ginny's brother Ron and his wife Susan had arrived. She smiled and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She'd not seen him in months, Susan's job as an attorney had moved them to the city and it was a rare weekend that they made it back.

"Hey there!" Ron exclaimed rocking on his feet with the force of her embrace, "Are you drunk?" He laughed.

Hermione pulled back and grinned, "Not even close." Ron gave her a look that said he thought otherwise, "Okay," Hermione relented and held her thumb and forefinger half an inch apart, "Maybe just a little."

"Tell me about the new bloke." Ron said.

"And is he yours?" Susan asked as Hermione hugged her.

"Oh, that's Draco, he's the new English teacher at the high school." Hermione giggled, "And tonight he's mine."

Susan's eyes went wide and she laughed, "Oh really?"

Hermione frowned and then laughed, "Oh, god no! Not like that! Lavender's here and she's being her usual delightful self."

Ron held up a hand, "Say no more," and he walked off to join the game of pool that was getting rowdy and jovial.

Susan looped her arm around Hermione's waist, "Just for the night, huh?" Hermione nodded, "Not with the way he keeps looking at you. Has he asked you out yet?"

Hermione shook her head, "I don't think it's like that at all. We're just mucking about tonight, keeping Lavender away."

It had been a long time since she'd had any attention from the opposite sex, it wasn't that she wasn't interested; they just weren't interested in her. Not anymore. And she certainly didn't think that the handsome new English teacher would look twice in her direction if he knew her story. Life had dealt her a cruel blow, and she wasn't about to burden anyone else with it.

Susan was looking at her with a quizzical frown, "No, I think it's much more than that. This one might be different and you won't know unless you give him a chance."

"That's what Pansy said."

"And when don't we listen to Pansy?" Susan asked with a grin.

"We always listen to Pansy," Hermione laughed.

"Hermione?" a voice said from behind her. She flinched, startled and turned to see a smiling Draco, "Are you okay?"

"Hey. I'm fine, thank you." she said in what she hoped was a casual tone, but the look of amusement on his face told her that she wasn't even close. Her face heated up and she wondered, not for the first time and she suspected not for the last, just how long it would be before she stopped reacting to him like a lovesick teenager. He glanced at Susan, who also had a look of amusement on her face, "Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, "This is Susan Bones, Ron's wife. Ron being Ginny's sister. She's a Lawyer."

Draco nodded, biting his lip to stop that laughter at her rambling, "Um, yeah. We already met. While you were in the loo."

"Oh," Hermione said, at a loss for words. The conversation had been easy, comfortable, and then she had to go and grope him and kiss him and completely embarrass herself. Now she just wanted to go home and curl up in bed with the covers over her head. _Stupid Seamus with his stupid, yet delicious alcohol._

Susan simply laughed, "I think I hear Ron calling me. Nice to meet you Draco." Hermione shot her a look that said, _don't leave me alone with him,_ but she just winked and walked away.

"Did you want another drink?" Draco asked nodding towards the bar.

Hermione pursed her lips, "Um, I'm not sure I should. Alcohol is making me kind of stupid tonight."

Draco grinned, "At least you're not on all fours with your arse in the air."

"You don't like my arse?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I never said that," he told her, "In fact it's just the opposite, I was rather impressed."

Hermione tilted her head to the side giving him a thoughtful _hm-mm_ , "So you're an arse man then?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "For the right arse."

Hermione turned towards the bar and glanced back over her shoulder at him, "And the right arse is...?"

Draco grinned and followed her, "Well, the right arse comes with a whole bunch of cursing."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but laughed, "You're not going to forget that any time soon, are you?"

"Not likely," Draco said sitting on the stool beside her, ordering another whiskey for himself and then looking expectantly at her.

"She's up to water," Seamus said placing a large glass in front of her. Hermione grinned, she thought he was about to cut her off and with the way she'd behaved earlier, he was probably right to do so. But he surprised her by placing vodka over ice beside it, "Water then alcohol, that's the rule."

Hermione laughed, "Still looking out for me Seamus?"

"Always looking out for you," He winked at her, "Have to keep an eye on you with blokes like this one around." He laughed at the look on Draco's face and served the next customer.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "Blokes like me?"

"Yeah," she nodded at him, "Dodgy looking blokes that hit on single girls in a pub. No one hits on me. It's the town rule."

Hermione had never been what you would call a social butterfly. Not even close. In fact, she preferred not to socialise at all. She preferred the solitude, the quiet, the few friends that she had. She kept to herself and thus became the nerdy, studious girl. The smart one. The one with her nose constantly in a book. But the weird thing was, she was never teased or bullied. In fact, she had been popular. It didn't make sense: she deliberately kept people at a distance, yet people wanted to talk to her. The nerdy, popular girl; an oxymoron if there ever was one.

And Draco was no different. He'd been coming into the shop a few minutes earlier each day, spending just a little more time with her. At first she thought she'd been imagining it, but when Pansy and Ginny pointed it out, the butterflies that had taken up permanent residence in her stomach fluttered and she had to put up with her friends' relentless teasing yet again.

Hermione heard Seamus chuckle, as did Draco, "Well, it's kind of hard not to hit on you. I mean look at you, sitting here looking gorgeous and leading me on by kissing me."

Hermione snorted a laugh, "Yeah, um, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean-"

"Never be sorry about that." Draco said squeezing her knee.

She downed the rest of her water and picked up the vodka, "Lavender." She said.

"I didn't ask."

"And you're not asking very loudly." She smiled, "She brings out the worst in me. What did Harry and Theo tell you?"

"Nothing actually," he shrugged, "They said it was a highly amusing story and that I should hear it from you."

"I shouldn't hate her as much as I do, really," Hermione began, "I mean, if she hadn't gotten me fired, I wouldn't have my own book shop."

" _She_ got you fired?" Draco turned to look at Lavender, who was currently throwing herself at some poor unfortunate bloke on the opposite side of the pub, "How is that possible?"

"I used to work at the other book shop in town, and until Lavender arrived I pretty much ran it. She decided she needed a new sugar daddy, her former one dumping her without a thought when his wife threatened a very messy, very public divorce. And Don Blotts was the target she set her sights on. A fifty year old virgin with money to burn; he was the perfect choice really.

"See what she's doing now?" Hermione indicated towards Lavender and Draco nodded, "Well, that's her thing; flash the girls, smile too brightly and give it up to any man who crosses her path. She tried it on my former boss, and he fell hook, line and sinker for it." She looked at him thoughtfully, "I'm not sure she gave it up to Don, but the boobs and the smile worked wonders.

Draco sniggered, "And he fired you for not sleeping with him?"

Hermione grimaced, "Eeww, no! He fired me in the hope that Lavender would."

Draco looked confused, "That makes zero sense."

"She complained that I was bulling her, and not allowing her to work to her full potential - that potential being to scope out the male customers and see who would be best suited for her needs - so he fired me. When the choice is between the girl who might and the girl who definitely won't, the former always wins."

"But it actually worked out pretty well for you though," Draco noted, "You have our own shop, and from what I can tell it's doing pretty well."

"Ah, yes my friend, you are right!" Hermione said grinning, "Me getting fired was the best thing that could have happened. It was the kick in the arse that I needed and I know that Don is regretting it. So that makes me even happier."

Draco held his glass up to her, "Here's to success, the best type of revenge."

Hermione laughed and clinked her glass against his, "To success." She agreed.

* * *

"Let me walk you home." Draco said, helping her with her jacket. She'd drunk a little more than she'd planned to and was struggling to get it on without assistance. She was cursing Seamus for not cutting her off, thinking to herself that maybe Ginny and Pansy had put him up to serving her more alcohol than was strictly necessary so she'd lower her inhibitions and take Draco home with her. And as much as she may have wanted that, she'd told herself repeatedly _No_... _well, not yet_.

Draco had been attentive to her all night after their little show at the bar. He'd bought her drinks, talked and laughed with her and when it wasn't his turn at the pool table, he stood close, his hand resting on her lower back. At one point his hand moved up to the nape of her neck, his thumb brushing slowly across the base of her skull causing a shiver and goose bumps to break out again. She'd spotted him staring at her chest on more than one occasion and smiled to herself, internally high fiving herself on her wardrobe choice. She wasn't sure if this was just keeping up with the act – Lavender was still watching them – but she certainly wasn't complaining.

"I live four blocks away, I'm sure I'll be fine." She finally shrugged into her jacket, his hands lingering on her shoulders a little longer than necessary.

"Ah, but what about our ruse?" He whispered into her ear causing a not unpleasant shiver to crawl down her spine, "How will it look if I let you walk home all alone?"

"Fine," she relented, "In the name of our ruse, you can walk me home."

He took her hand, entwining their fingers. She looked down, staring at the linked fingers. She looked back up at him, her eyebrows raised.

"In the name of our ruse," he informed her, his face completely sincere.

Hermione yelled a goodbye over her shoulder, and didn't miss the smirks on Ginny's and Pansy's faces as she and Draco left the pub. She expected him to drop her hand when they were out of sight of the pub, but his hand never left hers as they walked - occasionally stumbling in Hermione's case - through the chilled air of an early winter.

"You live in the book shop?" Draco asked when they stopped in front of what was fast becoming his favourite place on earth.

"No, I don't live in the book shop. I live _above_ it." She corrected him, her words slightly slurred, that second _Tuesday Tea_ was probably a mistake. Any more than three of those and you'd pretty much forget your own name.

Draco was laughing, "I shouldn't really be surprised should I?"

"Shut up. It's my shop, and it's easier."

"Sorry, but this so you," Draco laughed, "How did I not know this?"

"I don't give my address to complete strangers, you know."

"That's very responsible of you," he teased and pulled her in for a hug, "I've had a great night Hermione. We should do this again." He'd had a brilliant night; her friends had welcomed him like they'd known him for years.

She returned the hug, "You're welcome to join us anytime." She was reluctant to let him go, and since his arms were still wrapped around her, she assumed the same of him.

"Hermione?" His voice was almost whisper.

She pulled back slightly looking up at him, "Draco?"

He leaned in, cupped her face, and kissed her gently. For a second she was startled, but quickly found herself kissing him back. His mouth was warm, his lips soft. She gripped his hips, as he deepened the kiss, his hand moving from her jaw to the back of her neck. He rubbed his thumb along the base of her skull causing her to shiver.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, "I've wanted to do that all night."

"So have I," she admitted and leaned into his touch, staring up into his captivating grey eyes.

His hand was warm on her neck and before she could fully process what was happening, he stepped forward and gently pushed her back against the door. His mouth was on hers again and she opened her lips against his, his tongue sliding in with an almost desperate need to taste more of her. Draco's hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her harder against his mouth, kissing her fiercely. Hermione pressed herself against him, her heart hammering in her chest. It had been so long since anyone had kissed her like this. In fact, no one _had_ ever kissed her like this. The fingers that were gripping his biceps moved along his arms, feeling the tight muscles and she almost hummed appreciatively, before sliding along his shoulders and wrapping around his neck.

Every fantasy she'd had about him exploded in her head. His kiss was so much more than her inadequate brain had imagined. He was making her toes curl and a pleasant heat spread in her belly, a heat that was shifting lower and leaving her wanting to feel him elsewhere. She almost saw the devil on one shoulder kick the angel off the other as her brain screamed at her to let him in, not to push him away. This felt too good to stop.

But she did stop, breaking them apart and pulling away. They were both gasping for breath and she panted out "I'm sorry, I-" But he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her throat, "I don't want to have sex with you." She blurted out and he laughed against her neck, "I'm serious," she said, "Not tonight."

"Maybe another night then?' he said against her neck..

"Draco," she moaned quietly, his lips still pressing hot kisses along her neck. She pushed against his chest, "Please, stop."

He kissed her one last time and pulled back to look at her, cupping her jaw, "Hey," he said quietly, "No sex. It's just that I've wanted to kiss you like that for weeks now."

"Sorry," she said, "It's just-"

He pressed a finger to her lips, "No, don't apologise. You don't need to explain why. There will be no sex, not tonight and there will certainly be no pressure from me, okay?"

Hermione smiled at him, unable to help it. _Where did this man come from?_ "Thank you," she said, shivering again as his hands stroked slowly across her back and then pulled her into a hug.

Draco pressed his lips to her forehead, "But I do hope that you will let me kiss you like that again."

She chuckled and placed her hands on either side of his face, smiling at him, "I think that could definitely be arranged." She brushed her hand across his cheek, pressing her lips quickly to his, "Good night Draco."

"Good night Hermione," he said, leaning in to kiss her one last time, "Sleep well."

Hermione closed the door and leaned back on it closing her eyes and thinking that maybe her luck had changed.

She bit her lip, smiling. _Dear Universe, thank you, love Hermione._


	4. Chapter 4

A panicked phone call on Thursday from Draco had Scorpius joining them at the book shop for the afternoon.

"Hermione?" Draco's voice was strained, almost breathless, "I'm stuck at school. Mrs McGonagall, can't watch Scorp this afternoon so I told him to meet me there." Minerva McGonagall was Draco's neighbour. A retired teacher, who like everyone else that met him, fell instantly in love with Scorpius and had kindly offered to help Draco out with him whenever he needed. She usually only sat with him before school, Draco having to leave for his job before Scorpius' departure for school and preferring to pick him up in the afternoons himself. But a surprise faculty meeting threw out his plans.

"That's okay, I'll tell him when he gets here," she said, "He can stay here until you're done."

The school bus that Scorpius caught had one stop about three shops down from the book store and he would usually meet his father there on Friday afternoons. Hermione, Pansy and Ginny looked forward to his visits, they had all fallen in love with the boy, and much to Ginny's glee, her own son quite often joined them on the days she was working.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, "I don't want to just dump him on you."

"You're not dumping him on us," she told him, "Pansy's here and she acts like a seven year old so she can help entertain him. Besides, he's already on his way here."

"Ginny's not there?" He asked, "Maybe I can call her to come and get him, then he won't be in your way-"

She cut him off, "He'll be fine here."

"Thanks Hermione, I owe you big time."

"Oh, you most certainly do," she told him and ended the conversation. Pansy looked questioningly at her, "Draco's stuck at school and Scorpius is on his way here to meet him."

"And you're happy to volunteer to have his son for him, just like that." Pansy raised an eyebrow at her and smirked, "That must have been one hell of a kiss he landed on you."

Hermione's face flushed, "Shut up."

Her friends had been relentless in their interrogation of just what happened after Draco had walked her home from the pub on Saturday night. She had refused to tell them anything more than _he walked me home and that's all,_ but they'd hounded her for days until she finally gave in and told them that he'd kissed her.

 _"_ _Really?" Pansy asked, "He kissed you? That's all? It didn't occur to you to invite him and jump his bones. You haven't forgotten how to do that, have you? I guess it has been a while, so maybe you have."_

 _Ginny had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter bursting out. Hermione scowled at her, "Really Ginny, this is funny?" Hermione asked._

 _"N-o," Ginny sputtered between laughs as she tried to calm herself down, "But Pansy's right. It has been a while for you and I'm pretty sure that Seamus had a pool going as to whether you and Draco would be fucking like rabbits by the end of the night. The locals won't be happy."_

 _"What!" Hermione exclaimed, horrified, "When the hell did everyone become so interested in my sex life?"_

 _"From the minute you groped Draco at the pub," Ginny said, "Everyone saw, so it's your own fault really."_

 _"I didn't grope him," Hermione said, "I was keeping Lavenders filthy hands off him, that's all."_

 _"A likely story. You saw an opportunity and took it." Pansy sniggered and Hermione glared at her_.

 _"_ _Oh come on Hermione. The two of you barely noticed anyone else even existed, you were so wrapped up in each other." Ginny explained, "And do you really think that Draco would have allowed you to do what you did if he wasn't interested in more than just a drink with a friend? Would you have done what you did if you weren't interested in more?"_

 _"_ _How was it? The kiss?" Pansy asked and Ginny laughed._

 _"I'm starting to think my friends are all filthy perverts," Hermione screwed up her face, "We just need Katie here and the pervy trio will be complete. What?" Hermione asked them both as they glared at her._

 _"_ _How was it?" Pansy repeated._

 _"A, none of your business, and B," a grin crossed Hermione's face. "Fucking perfect."_

 _"I knew it!" Ginny said, laughing, "Was it really that good?"_

 _Hermione brushed her fingers slowly across her lips, smiling at the memory of Draco's kiss, "It was...I have no words."_

 _Pansy was slightly taken aback at the dreamy look on her friends' face, "If his kissing you makes you look like that imagine what else he could do."_

 _"So what're going to do about it?" Ginny asked._

 _"I don't know," Hermione said, "Nothing. We were both drunk, and he wasn't supposed to be like this; all sweet and nice and not caring that I said no sex. And looking like...fuck! looking like he does. And-"_

 _"Stop!" Pansy exclaimed, "You're rambling. He kissed you, so that probably means there's something there right? He likes you at the very least. So do something about it."_

 _"I don't know," Hermione huffed out a breath, "When he finds out-"_

 _"No," Ginny held up her hand cutting her off, "No what if's on this one. You are going to do something about it. You are going to ask him out, because the way he was looking at you, he's not going to care."_

Scorpius bounded into the store twenty minutes later, pulling his scarf and beanie off as Pansy informed him of Draco's tardiness and that he was to be put to work. She laughed at the surprised look on his face, and told him to sit at a table and she'd bring him a snack.

"Really?" He asked excitedly, realising they weren't kidding, "He's gonna be late and I can stay _here_?"

"You sure can!" Pansy told him, "But you have to earn your snack, so when you're done, you can help me make coffees."

"Seriously!?" He looked as though he would burst with excitement.

"Seriously," Pansy said with a laugh, "But we have to be careful, because it's very hot." Scorpius nodded eagerly, stuffing the muffin Pansy had placed in front of him into his mouth, causing her to yelp and tell him to slow down or he'd choke to death.

"Is Hermione here?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"I am," Hermione said appearing from the back of the shop, "Hey Scorpius." She scruffed his blonde hair affectionately.

"Pansy said I can make coffee." He told her and Hermione shot Pansy a wide-eyed looked that said _what the hell?_

Pansy flapped a hand at her, "He'll be fine. He can press the buttons, I won't let him near the steam."

"No, it's not that. You won't let me near the coffee machine, why does he get to help?"

"Well. He's way more adorable than you," Pansy said winking at Scorpius, who laughed.

"Fine," Hermione huffed in mock annoyance, "But be careful with the steam, because if he burns himself, you can explain it to his father."

Scorpius was watching the exchange between the two, his head turning from side to side as if watching tennis, "I won't burn myself Hermione. I'm seven." He told her, as if his being seven explained everything.

Pansy snorted a laugh, "See, he's seven. He'll be fine."

* * *

Draco arrived at half past five, just as they were closing up for the day, apologising profusely, rambling about a last minute meeting that went for longer than expected.

"Dad!' Scorpius exclaimed and Draco let out an _oomph_ sound when his son slammed into him, circling his waist in a hug.

"Hey Scorp," Draco hugged his son, "Did you have a good afternoon?"

"I did," he said, "I helped."

Draco shot an apologetic smile Hermione's way, "Thanks for this, he wasn't too much trouble?"

Hermione shook her head and smiled warmly at him, "No thanks needed, he was perfectly behaved, and he kept Pansy in line, so he can come here whenever he likes."

Draco laughed, "Well, I meant it, thank you. And the Malfoy boys owe you big time."

"You should come and have dinner at our house! Dad can cook, he's really awesome!" Scorpius said excitedly, then turned to Draco, "Can she dad? Please can she?"

"It's fine with me, but you have to ask Hermione." Draco told him.

"Can you come for dinner tonight?" He asked her excitedly.

"Maybe not tonight. Any special requests?" Draco smiled at her assuming she would say yes. Hermione thought that he looked way happier than he should have at the prospect of cooking for her.

"Vegetarian, that's about it," She said and he _hmm-ed,_ "If that's a problem, you don't have to do this. I really didn't mind having him here."

"He can cook vegetarian," Scorpius assured her, but by the look on his face he wasn't sure what vegetarian actually was, "So you'll come then?"

Hermione smiled at him, "I would love to have dinner with you Scorpius."

He let out a loud _woo-hoo_ and wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, then looked at Draco, "Tomorrow night?"

"No," Draco said, "You're going to Grandma and Grandpa's tomorrow."

Scorpius' shoulders slumped, "Oh, yeah, that's right." But then he brightened, "I'll be home Sunday, can you come then?"

Hermione glanced at Draco, who said that would be fine, "Well, Scorpius," she said, "It sounds like we have a date."

Pansy choose that exact moment to return from the office at the back of the shop, her jacket on and scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. A smirk planted firmly on her face, "Thanks for your help today," she said to Scorpius, but her eyes never left Hermione, who rolled her own eyes in return.

"You're welcome," He replied, "Hermione's gonna have dinner with us."

"I heard," Pansy said, "I'm glad she said yes, she hasn't been out for dinner with a handsome young man since...you know what? I can't remember the last time that happened."

Draco tried unsuccessfully to hide a snigger, and Hermione glared at Pansy, "Wow, I'm so glad you're my friend."

Pansy just laughed, "Well, I think this is just what the teacher, oh I mean, doctor ordered," she smirked and then turned her attention to Scorpius, effectively ending the conversation, "Will we see you next week Scorpius?"

Draco was smiling at her, he held up his phone, "Hey, give me your number, I'll call you with details." She relayed the number to him, and he hit send. Her own phone chimed, "And now you have mine. Are you ready Scorp?"

They headed out the door with Pansy, who looked back over her shoulder and grinned. Hermione sighed, Pansy and Ginny were going to be unbearable for the next three days.

* * *

Hermione growled in frustration. She'd changed clothes three times, not knowing what to wear. A casual dinner with the hot, blonde English teacher and his adorable son _; what the hell do you wear to that dinner?_ Her stomach was in nervous knots, and she admonished herself repeatedly, this was just dinner, it wasn't a date.

After their agreed upon non-date, she'd seen Scorpius again the following morning. He arrived with Draco on Friday before he went to school, which was unusual since he never accompanied Draco in the mornings, but the second he reminded her of their Sunday night dinner, she understood why he was there. The excited boy wanted to make sure she hadn't forgotten their plans since he was going out of town after school that afternoon to spend two days with his grandparents. She held back a laugh and told him she most definitely hadn't forgotten and was looking forward to it.

She groaned again and picked up her phone, calling Ginny, who would blindly pick out an outfit for her and it would look amazing.

"You're standing in your closet and you don't know what to wear, am I right?" Ginny didn't even say _hello._

She and Pansy had delighted in the fact that Scorpius had asked her on a 'date' saving his father the trouble. Their constant innuendos and straight out filthy comments regarding all the things she could do with Draco after Scorpius went to bed had her leaving them in the shop mid-morning on Saturday and disappearing to her flat upstairs. Of course that hadn't helped and she spent the next twenty four hours nervously fretting over her non-date date

She growled into the phone, "You know that's exactly what I'm doing." Then she huffed in frustration, "Help me Ginny, and please don't give me grief on this one."

"Your dark blue jeans, that cute white top you _never_ let me borrow, your chocolate brown leather jacket, and your brown Dior suede ankle boots." Ginny said without hesitation.

"I've been looking at that combination for an hour and hated it; how the hell do you do that?" Hermione put her phone on speaker, pulling off her sweat pants and tugging on the jeans Ginny had suggested.

"It's a talent," Ginny said in a haughty voice.

"The boots won't be too high? Maybe I should go with flats." Hermione bent down to pick up one of her most prized possessions – her Dior boots – and scrunched her nose in contemplation at the chunky four inch heels.

"No," Ginny said, "They'll be the perfect height, he won't have to bend so far down to kiss you goodnight. Oh, and put on that new underwear you said you didn't buy but I know that you did, just in case."

Hermione was glad Ginny wasn't standing there with her. Her face had suddenly grown hot; she was already wearing the new white lace French cut knickers and matching bra. Regardless of her sex life, or lack thereof, she had always had a penchant for lavish underwear. She'd brought this set on a whim a few months back (not that she actually needed it, her underwear collection was the envy of both her best friends) long before Draco had arrived in town and turned her world upside down. She'd not planned for anything to happen, not with Scorpius there, definitely not, but she decided that she could at least feel like she was prepared if something _were_ to happen.

"Might I remind you, this _isn't_ a date, so there'll be no kissing and certainly no _just in case_." Hermione said, trying to keep her voice steady, her stomach was still flipping.

"Oh my god!"Ginny cried, "You're nervous! This so _is_ a date!"

Hermione winced, she hadn't hidden her knotted up stomach as well as she hoped. She had repeated to herself for the entire day that this wasn't a date, it was just dinner. But if she was being honest with herself this really was a date, but she denied it to Ginny, "His son will be there, so I'm fairly certain it's not a date."

"I'm sure Scorpius will be asleep before you leave; take advantage of his father after that." Ginny encouraged, "Come on Hermione, how long has it been since you had someone in your bed?"

"Well, since dinner is at his place, it would be his bed." Ginny whooped a laugh and Hermione realised what she had just said, "No! I mean...argh!"

"Live a little, my friend," Ginny told her, "Let him in, what's the worst that could happen?"

"He breaks my heart and I have to go through all that bullshit again," Hermione said.

"Nope," Ginny disagreed with her, "This one's different."

"Thanks for your help Gin," Hermione said hoping to end the call.

"I want details," Ginny sung before Hermione hit the end button.

* * *

"Hermione!" The door was flung open and Hermione was greeted with the excited anticipation that was a seven year old boy. She couldn't help but laugh as he grabbed her hand and all but dragged her through the door.

"She's here dad!" He yelled down the long hallway. "Hermione's here! And she brought cake!" He eyed the three small, white chocolate cheesecakes Hermione was holding, and she silently prayed that his dragging her through the door wouldn't have them ending up on the floor.

"Stop yelling." Draco called from what Hermione could only assume was the kitchen.

"Sorry!" He yelled back then grimaced, "Oops. Come on, the kitchen's this way. Dad's excited that you're here."

"Your dad or you?"

He tugged her down the hallway, looking back over his shoulder to smile, "Both of us," he told her, "It's been forever since anyone came for dinner, except grandma and grandpa."

Hermione's heart leapt into her throat at that snippet of information. Draco hadn't cooked for anyone in a while it seemed, she was the first since…maybe since Scorpuis' mother. But she had no idea what the story was there, she didn't seem to be around so maybe he hadn't even cooked for her.

Then she inwardly berated herself for being so shallow.

"I think your son may be right, your kitchen smells amazing," Hermione said entering the kitchen and inhaling the mixture of aromas currently assaulting her senses. The sight of Draco in the kitchen, cooking, had her stomach flipping all over again.

"You had doubts?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her, but the smile he was trying to hide told her he was pleased with the compliment, "Butternut squash risotto," he informed her, "Hope that's okay?"

"Well, Molly tries here hardest to cook for me, but usually it's a disaster, so I'm sure this will be perfect." She smiled at him and he smiled back, feeling for all the world like a sixteen year old on a first date and she wondered if he felt the same. Of course most first dates didn't come with a seven year old in tow, but the fact that Scorpius was there didn't make her any less nervous.

"Wait 'til you taste it. Dad's the best cook ever." Scorpius proudly told her, the boy was still holding Hermione's hand as if he was scared she'd change her mind and leave.

She squeezed his hand gently, "This is not some trick to poison me and take over my store so you can have all the books you want, is it?" She bit the inside of her cheek at the look of horror on Scorpius' face.

"Why would you think that? We would _never_ do that." He looked crestfallen.

"I think she's joking Scorp," Draco wasn't even trying to hide his amusement, laughing at the look on his sons face.

"That wasn't funny, you know." Scorpius scowled at her.

"It was a bit funny," She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "Sorry, Scorpius."

"That's okay," he said smiling sweetly at her, "We won't poison you this time, maybe next time." He giggled and ducked out from under her arm and hid behind Draco, grinning like a mad man.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Well then, maybe I won't come back."

"I didn't mean it!" He cried, "I was only joking. You have to come back." Hermione started to laugh and he pursed his lips, "Joking again?" and she nodded. He steeled her with what Hermione guessed was his stern face and told her, "Maybe we won't ask you back."

"Okay, you two, enough fooling around," Draco said, "Can you pass those glasses Scorp?" He pointed to the wine glasses on the opposite counter and then turned to Hermione and nodded at the cheesecakes in her hands, "You can put those in the fridge. And grab the wine while you're there."

"Is he always this bossy?" Hermione asked Scorpius, who laughed and answered in the affirmative. She picked up the bottle and placed it on the counter, "Did you want me to open it as well? Drink it for you maybe?"

"That'd be great. There's a corkscrew in the top draw." Draco said with that smile. He had to stop smiling; her stomach couldn't take much more of it.

Scorpius placed three glasses in front of her, "And you're having….?"

"One of those thanks," He said with the same smile his father was currently sporting.

"Um, you're seven." She pointed out, and looked at Draco.

"Yeah, I let my seven year old drink wine." He drawled sarcastically at her and shook his head at his son, "Seriously Scorp, I'm trying to make a good impression here. You can have a beer _after_ she leaves."

Hermione snorted a laugh, and looked at the bottle she was holding _, 2006 Château Puisserguier, Saint-Chinian Blanc_ she read, "Well, you've made a good start here. Count me as duly impressed." She opened the bottle and poured two glasses, laughing at the look of defeat on Scorpius' face. "You're seven," she reminded him, "And apparently you only drink beer," She winked at him making him laugh. She looked in the fridge, finding pear juice. She held it up to him and he nodded and she poured it into a wine glass so he at least felt a part of their non-date date.

Scorpius held his glass up to her, "Cheers, Hermione!"

She clinked her glass against his, "Cheers, Scorpius. Thanks for inviting me."

"You're welcome," he said cheerfully.

Draco served the risotto, and held up block of parmesan, "Vegetarian, not vegan," she told him and he grinned telling her _just making sure_ and topping her portion with a generous amount of the freshly shredded cheese. Scorpius led them to the table, grabbing his fork and digging right in causing Hermione to wince; tendrils of steam were still coming off her food .

"This is amazing Draco, where'd you learn to cook?" she said when she finally took a bite. Draco smiled with gratitude.

"Not from Grandma, that's for sure." Scorpius scrunched his nose up, "She burns water!"

"And we don't ever tell Grandma that, do we?" Draco gave him a conspiratorial look.

Scorpius laughed and shook his head, "Not if we know what's good for us,"

Hermione watched the exchange between father and son, enjoying how easy they bantered. Scorpius clearly adored his father and Draco, as she well knew form her daily conversations with him, was proudest father that ever walked the earth.

"I taught myself actually," he said and looked at Scorpius, "Apparently children need vegetables, not frozen pizza, to survive." He laughed at the look of horror on her face, "I wasn't always this good. But when you become the sole person responsible for another human being, you kind of have to adapt. So I taught myself, and I don't think I've cooked anything he doesn't love."

"Uh-uh," Scorpius muttered still shovelling food into his mouth, "I don't like asparagus."

"Really?" Hermione asked, "I love asparagus."

"Weirdo," Scorpius said grinning at her then choked slightly.

"And that's what happens when we talk with our mouths full," Draco shook his head, a look of distain on his face.

Scorpius, having spent the majority of the weekend with his grandparents, obviously hadn't had the chance to catch Draco up on his afternoon at the shop. He talked endlessly about the book shop, telling Draco how amazing it had been, and how lucky Hermione was to have it, and how excited he was that she knew so much about the books he loved, and how she had the most awesome name ever.

Then he told Draco about Pansy and how she'd showed him how to make coffee, and that Hermione had said that Pansy never let anyone touch the coffee machine except Ginny. And when he helped to clear the tables, an old lady gave him money for doing such a great job.

"Sounds like you had a great afternoon," Draco was smiling at his son, clearly proud that Scorpius had helped and not hindered them while he was at the store.

"I did dad," he said, "And Hermione said I could help out anytime I wanted to."

"Slave labour, huh?" Draco said with a grin.

Hermione laughed, "Only when it's adorably cute and has the customers wrapped around its finger."

"Well, maybe we'll just keep our Friday afternoon visits then," Draco said as Scorpius yawned, "And maybe it's time for bed."

"But it's not even bedtime," Scorpius whined. Draco glanced at the clock; it was almost eight, half an hour earlier than his normal bedtime, but the weekend with his grandparents and the excitement of having Hermione for dinner had worn him out.

"You've had a busy weekend, my boy. An early night won't kill you." Draco told him.

"But Hermione's here and I'll miss out."

"Miss out on what?" He asked with a laugh.

Scorpius' brow furrowed, thinking hard, "Cake!" he cried triumphantly, "She brought cake and we didn't eat it yet."

"Nice try, kiddo," Draco pushed back in his chair, "You can have it tomorrow. It's bed time."

Hermione offered to clean up so Draco could get his son ready for bed. Scorpius had explained that they read every night before bed, and they were currently reading _The Borrowers_. She smiled telling him that it was one of her favourites, loving that Draco did that with his son. Her own father had done the same with her, it had been their own little bedtime ritual until she was about eleven and became way too cool for her dad to read to her.

Draco, of course, refused, "You're our guest, weren't you taught that guests don't do the dishes?"

"No," she said, "I was taught it is polite to offer assistance."

"Not in this house," Draco told her, "You can just watch."

"You could read to me while Dad cleans up," Scorpius suggested to Hermione, then quickly looked to Draco, "If that's okay dad."

Draco looked at Hermione, "Its fine with me," he said, and Hermione nodded that it was okay with her.

Draco cleared their plates with a smile, while his son led Hermione down the short hallway off the living room and into his bedroom, chattering non-stop. His smile widened as she gasped and made much of the decor - Iron Man was Scorpius' current favourite and his bedroom reflected the fact.

"And then the aliens made a wormhole and Iron Man flew into it with a bomb and blew them up and The Hulk caught him and saved him," Scorpius exclaimed, retelling her the end of the movie he had watched earlier that afternoon, Draco's way of calming him down when he arrived home from his grandparents and the over excited countdown to Hermione's arrival started.

"That would be the Chitauri," Hermione said knowingly, "Loki was trying to rule the earth with them as his army."

Draco laughed quietly at Scorpius' gasp. Hermione may have just become his son's first crush. He listened as the conversation between the two shifted and Scorpius told her all about his books; the two large shelves he owned were almost full, with just enough room on them for his action figures.

Draco had observed her throughout dinner, conversing easily with Scorpius, his son completely besotted with her, but then he wasn't surprised. Her knowledge of all the things his seven year old son liked was impressive and after watching her and his son interact, her display of action figures on the counter at the store made complete sense. When had asked her about it, she had insisted that they were there to simply encourage the boys in town to read more, but since her knowledge of the Marvel Universe was more extensive than that of his sons, and his son was more than impressed, he figured there was a comic book nerd hiding somewhere inside her.

She appeared in the doorway of his bedroom, "Pyjamas." She explained and Draco grinned.

"I'm surprised he didn't just strip off in front of you,"

"Um, he started to," she grimaced making him laugh. He hoped that his son's lack of inhibitions would be something he would grow out of, he truly wasn't looking forward to a future of bailing his son out the lock up for streaking.

"Ready!" Scorpius yelled.

"You really don't mind?" Draco asked again and Hermione shook her head.

"It's either I read to him, or I do the dishes. The choice is yours."

Draco held up his hands in defeat, "Don't let him con you into more than one chapter." Draco said loudly enough for Scorpius to hear, "He has school tomorrow." They both laughed at the groan of _Da-ad_ that came from the bedroom.

Draco lowered his voice, "Don't be surprised if he only lasts one page, he's exhausted." Hermione nodded and disappeared back into Scorpius' room.

Draco stood looking at the door to his son's bedroom and let out a slow breath. He was attracted to her; there was no doubt about that. He found himself looking forward to seeing her every morning, and loved watching her with Scorpius on their Friday afternoon visits.

And it was not simply a physical attraction; it was more, so much more. She had conversed easily with him about literature, about history, politics and the state of the world as a whole. And he found her more attractive for it. Only Scorpius' mother had had that ability with him, and he had been sure that he would never find it again. He hated to compare the two, and it was really the only similarity that they had, Scorpius' mother had been reserved and quiet, where Hermione was sharp witted and never held back an opinion.

And whether she was aware of it or not, Draco wanted to learn everything there was to know about Hermione Granger. It had seemed like forever since he'd felt so strongly about another person, and he looked forward to spending more time with her away from the book shop. He looked forward to their daily in-depth conversations, the crazy banter that he'd already experienced, and even the conversations that he was sure that would involve his son regarding who was the best Avenger.

He wasn't sure what had drawn him to the little book shop that first morning, and he truly didn't believe in fate - this wasn't a fairytale - but whatever it was, he was sure that they were meant to be, and he just prayed that she did too.

* * *

Hermione heard the soft sigh, a tiny snore and then the even breathing that came with sleep. She kept reading, _just one more minute_ , she thought, so as not to wake him with the sudden halt of her voice. But when she looked at him, she smiled. He was out cold. Draco was right, he _was_ exhausted. She put the picture of Iron Man that they were using as a bookmark a few pages back, assuming that's when he fell asleep, and placed the book on the dresser. She pulled the covers over him, brushed her fingers across his forehead, but resisted the overwhelming urge to kiss his cheek. She wasn't his mother, she was just a friend. She watched him for a few more seconds, her chest constricting, wondering how was it that she has become so enamoured of him - and his father, if she was honest- in such a short amount of time?

She quietly shut the door, lifting her heels from the floor, not wanting the _clunk_ they made when she was walking to wake him and tip toed back down the hall. She paused in the dim light of the living room, watching Draco. He appeared to be in deep in thought but was still effortlessly moving around the kitchen, wiping the countertops, closing the dishwasher and pressing the button to start the cycle. She watched him for a moment curious to as what was on his mind and hoping that he wasn't put out by his son insisting that she read to him.

"Hey," she said quietly so as not to startle him.

"Hey, that didn't take long," He said refilling their wine glasses as she leaned against the counter.

"You were right, he was exhausted. I think we only got through four pages." She really needed to go, because she was sure that if he kept smiling at her like he was, this would certainly end in tangled sheets and sweaty bodies, but she couldn't make herself say goodnight. And he'd already refilled her glass...

"What?" He asked noticing her watching his every move.

"You cook, you do dishes," she looked around his flat, "Your place is immaculate, are you sure you're not a woman?"

"You don't think men can do all this?"

"Yes, of course men can do this. I just haven't seen it." She explained, "My dad wasn't, let's just say, the neatest person that ever lived. He and my mother were polar opposites, she was a neat freak and he wasn't. And my ex-husband, well, it was pretty much the same deal," she smiled at him, "So this is a nice change."

"Ex-husband?" He queried, keeping his surprise in check. Ex-husband. An interesting fact that had not come up in the course of their morning conversations. He had noticed there wasn't ring on her finger on the first day he met her, but had told himself that meant nothing. A lack of a ring didn't mean she wasn't involved with someone, he'd hoped she wasn't, and it was to his glee when Harry and Theo told him she was single. But an ex-husband had caught him by surprise.

"Correct, ex-husband," she said, "It ended three years ago. And my flat has never been neater."

Draco laughed and led her to the couch. "Well, I'm just waiting for my son to be old enough to do all this for me, and then I can take the pretty girl into my room and strip naked for her." He winked at her making her blush.

Without even realising what she'd done, she kicked her shoes off and curled her feet beneath her as she sat on the couch. She felt so comfortable here, everything felt so familiar, so right. Something she hadn't felt since the first few months she and Oliver were together. Draco, however, didn't miss that she had made herself completely comfortable, and liked the idea of her doing so.

"Ex-husband?" He asked again and she smiled.

He saw the hesitation, her shoulders tensing slightly and the miniscule flicker of anger that crossed her face, before she shrugged and finally said, "Not much to tell really. We were together for just less than three years, married for one. We just didn't work and he left."

"Was there anyone else involved?" he was cautious not sure just how far he could push this line of questioning. She was guarded, her walls were always up, and while he had managed to get to know a little about her at the book shop, he'd discovered very little about her personally. Harry and Theo had warned him not to push her, to let her tell him, but her reaction clearly meant there was more to her marriage ending than a simple 'we just didn't work.'

"I didn't think there was," she rolled her eyes, and he saw her mentally _d'uh_ herself, "But much thanks to the gossips in a small town, I discovered that he had been seeing another woman for about three months before he moved out."

 _Oh_ , Draco thought, _the ex had been the one to leave._ _What an idiot._ _Why on this earth would he leave her?_

"I don't imagine you took that well at all," he remarked and he said a silent _thank-you_ to her ex-husband.

Hermione shook her head, "No. Not at first. I'm fairly certain I would have ripped his balls off had he come near me in those first few weeks. But I don't dwell on it now. It's over, and I'm really not sure what direction my life would have taken if I had still been with him."

"So the arsehole did you a favour?"

"Yeah, I guess he did, but I certainly don't give him any credit for it." Hermione laughed, "You should talk to Pansy and Ginny about him; you'll learn more colourful words than you ever thought existed."

"I'll be sure to do that," He laughed and then hesitated "Um," he said and she just looked at him, waiting, "I just thought you should know that Scorpius may have spent the entire weekend talking about _the awesome bookshop lady_ to his grandparents."

"Oh-kay," she said slowly, "And I'm guessing your parents had some questions?"

"Well, that's just it. Not my parents, his mothers'." Draco explained and she could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"You kind of have to help me out here," Hermione said with an encouraging smile, "I know nothing about any of this."

Draco let out a breath, "He spends one weekend every month with them, and time during his school holidays and Christmas, the usual stuff," he shrugged one shoulder.

"And his mother?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"She passed away." he said simply.

Hermione gasped. He hadn't cooked for Scorpius' mother because she was no longer here to cook for. Her stomach clenched and she felt the stinging bile of her own shallowness stick in her throat, "Draco, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he ran the tip of his finger absently across the rim of his glass, "We were young," he looked up and smiled, "Both of us planned on teaching and we'd completed two years of university when she got pregnant. Scorpius is our 'oops' baby. Our much adored, much loved, much wanted oops baby."

Hermione smiled, he didn't need to explain it to her, she knew how much he loved his son, had seen it with her own eyes.

"She dropped out of school without hesitation," he continued, "Not even caring if she went back to finish or not. She was beyond happy about being a mother. Our parents were, let's just say, not happy about us not being married, mine more so than hers. My father wanted me to drop out as well and work for him, but I refused. We figured we'd have the baby, I'd finish school and then we'd get married."

"But there's no happily ever after here."

"No," he said, "About six months after Scorp was born, she got sick. She'd been perfectly healthy one day, and deathly ill the next. It was..." He closed his eyes, shaking his head gently, "They found a tumour on her brain, inoperable. And she refused treatment. She wanted only to enjoy her son without being violently ill from the treatment they were offering."

"She didn't think it might save her?" Hermione asked, "Give her more time with him?"

"That's what we all tried to tell her, but she knew the prognosis wasn't good, that she'd only get a few months more with him, so she refused. And she loved him with every single fibre of her being for the short time she had with him."

"Of course she did," Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand, "You loved her. And you loved her even more for doing that for her son."

He nodded, "Very much so. I thought she was it for me, but I guess the universe had other plans."

"How old was he?" And Hermione winced when Draco told her he'd just turned two. She'd lost her own parents at nineteen, and she had thought that was bad enough. But to have his mother die when has was just two years old, that was unfathomable.

"And her parents?" Hermione asked, slightly nervous about the answer.

"They completely adore him, of course, but they had some questions," he looked thoughtfully at her, "They've not heard him talk about anyone like he did about you."

"What did you tell them?" She was hesitant to ask, but curious as to how he had defined what was going on between them. _If_ he thought anything was going on between them. One drunken kiss, a relationship did not make.

"I told them usual; that we're just friends. That we met you at the bookshop and we go there every day to get coffee and cake," he shrugged, "I'm not sure how much I needed to tell them, this is all new for me. I mean they're his grandparents, and while I respect that they have the right to know about the people in his life, I'm not sure they need to know everything about mine."

Hermione smiled inwardly. _This was all new for him_ and she took that to mean he wanted more, "So, there's not been anyone else since...?"

He placed his glass on the table and shifted closer to her, taking her own glass and placing it next to his, "Pansy said it's been a while since you've been out to dinner with someone?" Hermione nodded, "Well, it's been the same for me. No one serious, in any case."

 _Oh_ , she thought, _how was that possible. Had he looked in a mirror?_

His hand slid up her thigh, coming to rest on her hip. She held her breath, anticipating the kiss that was sure to come. And if it was anything like his kiss from the previous weekend, she was sure her 'no sex' rule would be forgotten and they'd end up naked and sweaty.

"You promised me that I could kiss you again." He said and then he descended on her placing a soft kiss on her lips. And it was exactly how she remembered, actually, fantasised about was probably more apt, and it made her want to purr.

His hand moved from her hip and brushed the side of her breast on its journey to cup the back of her neck. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but the tingle it left in its wake had a not unpleasant feeling creeping through her core. His thumb gently stroked against the base of her skull, sending shivers down her spine, her own hands gliding up his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.

He gently eased her back and they tumbled down to the soft cushions, and she shifted slightly giving him the room to lay beside her, his back pressed against the soft back of the couch. She hooked her leg over his hip anchoring herself to him, his thigh settling between hers, his hand tangling in her hair. His mouth never left hers, kissing her as if it were his last, the sweet taste of wine on his tongue as it moved against hers.

He pulled back smiling at her, silently asking if this was okay. She cupped his jaw, her thumb tracing along his mouth, his cheek bone. She nodded at his unasked question, "Draco," she whispered, "No-"

He pressed a finger to her lips, "No sex," a smile crossed his face, and he quirked an eyebrow at her, "Not yet."

Hermione laughed and raised her own eyebrow at him, "Maybe not ever."

He grinned at her, "Well, I guess I'll just have to be happy with snogging you senseless."

"Is that what this is?" Hermione asked innocently, "A teenage snogging session on the couch while your parents aren't home?"

"Well, exchange my parents for my seven year old son who's asleep in the next room, and you're close." Draco laughed at the expression on her face, "Don't worry. Once he's a sleep, he's out for the night."

Draco gently tipped her chin up, to give him better access to her throat, remembering the tiny moans he pulled from her when he'd kissed her there after their drunken night at the pub. Remembering how many nights since then he'd fallen asleep with the memory of those sounds in his ears.

His hand splayed across her lower back, pulling her closer, her thigh squeezing against his hip. She closed her eyes as his mouth found hers again and she could feel him hard against her, and her body betrayed her, her hips grinding slowly against him. He ran his palm over the curve of her arse and down along her thigh, pulling her leg higher and shifting his hips to fit snugly against hers.

They traded kisses, the sweet taste of wine lingering between them. His hand that was rubbing warmly along her thigh came up to cup her jaw, his thumb brushing gently across her cheek and she sighed, gripping the sides of his shirt and grinding languidly against him.

The steady friction that was building, the gentle rocking of his thigh against her core, had her thinking that she should just let this happen, she should just let him lift her off this couch and take her to bed. Let him see the _just in case_ underwear, to stop holding back. Instead she hesitated, told herself to slow this down, to not let it go too far, but his lips found the thrumming pulse in her neck and she couldn't seem to get the words out.

She didn't need to.

"Da-ad!" The holler from down the hallway startled them both.

Draco groaned, "Is he serious?" and Hermione began to laugh.

"He'll stay asleep, huh?" Hermione said through her giggles and Draco groaned again.

"Da-ad! My door is closed. You need to open it." Scorpius yelled.

"Sorry," Hermione said, "My fault." She'd closed his bedroom door thinking that if she and Draco were talking she didn't want to wake him. Apparently that wasn't the case.

"He doesn't normally wake, but he doesn't like his door fully closed." Draco said as Scorpius hollered for him again, "Just give me a minute, I'm coming." He yelled back.

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth and her body shook with laughter. Draco looked down at her, her eyes were wide and he realised what he'd just said, "Oh, you're gonna be a twelve year old?" His comment just made her laugh more. He smirked at her, kissing her quickly before forcing himself off her and standing.

She was still laughing when raised an eyebrow at him, and nodded towards the bulge in his jeans, "Are you going to be able to walk?"

Draco looked down at himself, and smirked, "I'll be fine. I just hope Scorp doesn't notice and ask just what Hermione has been doing to me."

An undignified snort escaped her and she clapped her hand over her mouth again, her shoulders shaking, "Go, before he wakes the neighbours and they all want to know what we've been doing."

He leaned down and kissed her again, winking as he said "Don't go anywhere."

Hermione sighed and sat up, watching as he walked towards his sons' room. She ran her hand through her hair, untangling the mess that had amassed there. She reached down and pulled on her boots, listening to the muffled voices of father and son.

She didn't want to leave, but she had to. She wasn't ready to share her 'no sex' reason with him yet. It was the one thing that always held her back, the reason she kept her wall up and wouldn't let anyone in. And out of the handful of men who had been in her life in the past ten years, Oliver had been the worst by far. He'd almost broken her, and she didn't want to be disappointed again. Not with Draco, but the way things were headed on the couch that rule would most certainly have been broken and she wasn't ready for that just yet.

"You're leaving?" Draco was looking at her palms up, slightly amused.

Hermione shrugged into her jacket, "Yeah, I should go. Thank you for inviting me. It's been...great." she said, fiddling with the keys in her pocket, not wanting to say _good night_. This was stupid, she told herself, she'd see him the next morning.

"Thank you for accepting. I think my son has slight crush on you."

She laughed, "Well, I might have a small crush on him too."

He held his hand over his heart in a mock display of dismay, "He's only seven and already stealing the ladies away from me!"

"Well, maybe you'll just have to pick up your game." She told him.

He stepped closer to her and she looked into his grey eyes, her heart tightened in her chest and her breath hitched. She was sure that her legs would give out and she would end up as a puddle on the polished wood floor if he moved any closer to her. He brushed his fingers down her arm, "Any suggestions?" he asked.

 _Draco Malfoy might actually be_ the _death of me_ , she thought, "Well, I'd start by abandoning your son," she suggested, "He's the problem here."

He chuckled and cupped her jaw, "Maybe I'll just dye his hair, make him look less adorable."

"Not possible, he's far too adorable; it would just make him more so. Sorry." Hermione said with a rueful shrug, "Goodnight, Draco. And thanks again."

"Goodnight, Hermione." he replied bending slightly to kiss her quickly, "Until next time."

Hermione smiled up at him, "Next time."

Draco watched her turn and walk away, admiring the view from behind. He closed the door and thought, _Hermione Granger will be the death of me._


	5. Chapter 5

Draco leaned back on the closed door and let out a frustrated breath, running his hands through his hair. Their make-out session on the couch had been more than he'd hoped for.

He had wanted to kiss Hermione goodnight before she'd even arrived. The kiss from the previous weekend, after he'd walked her home from their slightly drunken night at the pub, had left him wanting. He wanted something more with her, more than the friendly banter each morning, more than the growing friendship that they'd been dancing around, much more. He'd felt something stir inside him from the moment he'd first seen her - arse in the air and cursing - and the more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know her. She was smart and funny, sassy and sweet, and the glimmer of her temper that he'd witnessed at the pub intrigued him.

And now, the small glimpse into her personal life; she had an ex-husband, which he had to admit, had been a complete shock. How anyone could be her ex-anything astounded him. And he was beyond curious as to exactly what had happened between them. He was sure there was more to it than the simple _he left me for another woman_ story that she had told him. She'd tried to hide her reaction when he had asked her, but the flicker of anger in her eyes told him her attempted nonchalance was masking the anger that she clearly still felt towards the arsehole.

And most importantly she adored his son, and the feelings were mutual. Scorpius looked forward to his Friday afternoons at the bookshop and he asked Draco to say 'hello' to Hermione every morning for him. And he had not once asked if anyone else other than Draco would read to him before bed. Not even his grandparents were allowed the privilege. But tonight, he'd not even hesitated.

Draco picked up the glasses from the coffee table and rinsed them in the sink, the menial task doing nothing to resolve the heat in his belly or the growing problem in his pants. The same heat that had settled low in his stomach the second she had walked in the door; his son wasn't alone in his excitement of her being in their home. And now it was worse than when she had first arrived. After their make-out session he was harder than ever. Her scent was all around him, the feel of her hips grinding slowly against him, the taste of her mouth on his.

"Ga-ah!" He growled in frustration, "Fuck!"

He kicked off his shoes and crossed the living room, checking that Scorpius was still asleep and he smiled at his sleeping son. He was sprawled on his back, his arms flung above his head, a peaceful, content look on his face. He left the door slightly ajar and dimmed the hallway light and then he headed towards his own bedroom and its adjoining bathroom, pulling his shirt off. He turned the shower on, _Cold_ he thought and tugged his jeans and boxer-briefs down. He looked down at himself, _definitely cold._

He squeezed his eyes shut, admonishing himself, _No, he couldn't. He couldn't - shouldn't - think about her. Could he?_ He stood under the cold water for another minute, his thoughts wandering; the feel of her mouth against his, her hands digging into his hair, the tiny sound she made when his tongue slid against hers. _Good holy fuck_ , it had been amazing.

He was curious about her reason for not wanting sex. Not that he wanted to pressure her, not at all. He would gladly wait, but the attraction was there, and if her reactions to him simply kissing her on the couch were any indication, she would certainly be a willing participant. He wondered if what Harry and Theo had hinted at was the reason or if it was that her ex-husband had broken her heart so badly that she resisted any form of intimacy? He didn't think that was solely the reason, there was clearly more to it than that.

 _Ah, fuck it!_ He thought, and adjusted the water temperature, his body instantly heating up, his cock growing even harder. He took himself in hand, closing his eyes and seeing only her as he slowly stroked himself until he was fully hard and throbbing. He imagined it was her hand, her thumb swiping over his tip making him shudder. He imagined her naked, the water from the shower running between her breasts, down her stomach and thighs and moaned quietly.

 **...DM#HG...**

Hermione wasn't faring much better.

She had driven home with her heart racing and the heat that had pooled between her thighs during their session on the couch was still swirling inside her. It had been a constant back and forth in her mind as to whether she should have stayed or if she did the right thing by leaving. She trudged up the steps to her flat, fishing her phone from her bag and dropping her bag onto the kitchen counter. She had a line up of missed messages; Ginny, Pansy and Katie, all wondering how her _date_ went.

The first from Pansy - _How'd the date go_ ;) and then ten minutes later – _No answer...must be going well._

 _Did he like your underwear? Are you still wearing your underwear? Please tell me he tore it off you and you need to buy new underwear?_ Ginny's text ended with emojis: a bikini, a pair of lips and a tongue. Hermione shook her head, but her cheeks felt hot at the images those three tiny pictures conjured up.

Katie– who had clearly decided to join her pervy colleagues and get in on the act – simply sent her a text that had a bed and smirking face.

She chose to ignore them all, and headed for her bedroom. She looked at her empty bed and sighed. She hated to admit it, but Ginny was right, it _had_ been far too long since anyone besides herself had been in her bed. And she found herself picturing Draco sleeping beside her.

She stripped down to her completely intact, completely unobserved by Draco, underwear and flopped down onto her bed, a frustrated huff of air leaving her lungs. She should have left as soon as Scorpius had fallen asleep. She should have thanked him and left, because now she was frustrated and she was craving him; the press of his lips on hers, his tongue, his taste. She closed her eyes and brushed her fingers across her lips, knowing she wanted more, and the mere thought of simply kissing him had her warm and damp. What would it be like to have him naked and pressed against her?

 _No,_ she thought, _I can't. I can't think of him_.

She reached behind her back unclasping her bra and shimmying out of it. Her nipples were already hard and sensitive as she ran her fingers lazily across them. She skimmed her fingers along the lace of her underwear, sliding them lower to circle her clit over the thin material.

 _Screw it_ she thought and slid her underwear off, spreading her thighs. She slid her fingers down to find her clit, closed her eyes and pictured him as she circled the sensitive bud, taking her time, working herself slowly.

 _His hands, his tongue_ she thought with a sigh. She spread her thighs wide, as a pleasant warmth spread through her belly and down towards her core. Her fingers slid to her entrance, gathering the moisture she found there and pulling it between her folds. _He would do this slowly_ , she thought, he would take his time to savour her and she groaned as her hips began to rock.

 **...DM#HG...**

Draco was breathing hard, the picture in his head of Hermione having worked him up quicker than any other woman, fantasy or real, ever had. He imagined her delicate fingers stroking him, her small palm cupping his balls, her tongue sliding across his chest. He imagined her wet, naked body pressed against his as she leaned up to capture his mouth and kiss him. She'd take her time, brushing her fingers over every muscle, every scar, every inch of his skin, burning him into her memory.

And he would return the favour; touching her, feeling every inch of her body and memorising every curve. His fingers would slip between her thighs and find her hot and wet, and the moan that would fall from her open mouth would almost have him toppling over as his fingers slipped inside her and he fucked her with his hand.

The slow, sensual fantasy playing out in his head suddenly changed, and he groaned, pumping his hand harder, faster. He was picturing her sliding down his torso and landing on her knees, her fingers digging into his arse, her mouth dangerously close to his cock. He flicked his thumb over the sensitive head, _her tongue_ he thought and repeated the movement. He squeezed harder, picturing her taking him into her mouth, her wet tongue sliding around him, her lips sucking hard.

He moaned loudly, his muscles tensing as he pictured her lips moving along his length, sucking him in deep and moaning around him.

"Fuck!" he growled, and clenched his jaw.

 **...DM#HG...**

A low moan escaped Hermione's lips as she slid her fingers lower, pressing against her entrance, then slowly pushing inside. She pumped her fingers deeper, pressing against the cluster of nerves along her inside wall, the heel of her hand hitting her clit with every pump. She imagined that they were his fingers. Imagined him pushing her thighs wider, his tongue sliding through her core, him groaning at how wet she was.

She flexed her legs, planting her feet on bed and arched her back, moaning his name as she began to thrust her fingers harder. Her free hand tweaked her nipple, pinching and twisting, tugging hard, picturing his teeth biting down around the hard peak. She imagined him moving over her, his lips on her neck, the warm weight of his body pressing down on her as he slipped into her, filling her up. His cock would be long and thick, he would stretch her and fill her, and they would fit together perfectly.

She would hear his voice close to her ear, telling her how tight her pussy was, how hard he was going to make her come, that she'd be screaming his name.

"Draco." She whispered and began to shake with burning anticipation.

 **...DM#HG...**

Draco was right on the edge, his strokes almost frantic as his fantasy grew; Hermione's head bobbing faster and faster, sucking him hard and fast, pulling him deep into her throat. He thumbed the head of his cock on each stroke. It would be her hot, wet tongue teasing him, her swollen lips dragging torturously along his entire length.

He slowed his hand and stroked himself, long and slow, gripping tightly. The image in his head of Hermione on her knees, water showering down her naked body, her own hand between her thighs, had him spiralling. He groaned at the vision in his head and began pumping himself harder and harder until her moaned out her name. Stream after stream of hot fluid poured over his hand and into the waterfall of water from the shower.

He braced his arms against the wall, breathing hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He stood for several minutes, the warm water washing over him, his mind racing. Should he feel guilty for jerking off with fantasy Hermione? He didn't think so. He hadn't come that hard ever, and it was she - or at least the fantasy version - that had made it happen.

He switched the water off, and towelled himself dry. He flopped naked onto the bed, knowing full well he'd wake at some stage during the night with a raging hard-on and fantasy Hermione would have to come to his rescue.

 **...DM#HG...**

Hermione was beyond stimulated. She had worked herself into a frenzy with her fingers and her hips began to rock faster. She was chanting his name inside her head, her breaths panting and heavy. Imaginary Draco's cock was pumping hard and fast into her, setting a quick pace that had sweat blooming on her skin. She felt her spine tingle, a heated pleasure pooling between her thighs. Her orgasm was building. Her jaw dropped open and she whimpered, biting down on her bottom lip.

She imagined Draco holding her arms above her head, moving faster and faster, fucking into her at a frantic pace. There would be no love making here, only hard, fast fucking, just how she loved it. And he would know, without asking her, he would just know. He would be amazing at this; he would know how to exactly how pleasure her, how to make her body sing, how to make her scream his name in ecstasy.

She was so fucking close, so fucking wet. She clenched with anticipation, her skin began to tingle all over, as her orgasm hit her, shattering her apart and she cried out his name. Her entire body spasmed and shook and a flood of heated fluid coated her fingers. She gasped for air as she stilled her hand, sliding it from her wet core and resting her damp fingers on her belly.

Her body felt boneless having just experienced one of the most earth shattering orgasms of her life. And it was just the image of him that had done it. She sighed, pulling the covers over her, thinking that the next time that happened she might actually allow him to be involved.

* * *

Despite her attempt to ease the ache that had been a constant since Draco Malfoy had walked into her life and turned it upside down, she'd been restless, tossing and turning the entire night and now, when she'd only just managed to fall into a deep sleep, the insistent buzzing of her 5.30 alarm pulled her from the most perfect dream - floating on clouds with a certain hot blonde, who was gloriously naked and, thanks to her subconscious, incredibly built and he was doing things to her that were indescribable and even in her sleep were making her blush. She woke with her heart pounding in her chest, a heat between her thighs, and the desire for Draco's body to be pressed against hers.

Hermione groaned and stretched her arms above her head, arching her back pulling out the kinks from her body that came with her restless night. She rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes and stretching again. She peered at her phone, and saw three new message notifications. The first from Ginny, asking when they need to go underwear shopping with a winking face and one from Pansy asking her to say good morning to Draco for her, both causing her to roll her eyes. The last message had her pleasantly surprised: a smiley face text from him. No message, just the face. It had made her smile, and she assumed that was the desired effect. She had wanted to send something back, but chose not to. Instead she dragged on her running gear, tying her sneakers and plugging her ear buds into her ears. She pulled the beanie Molly had knitted on her head and headed out the door for her daily run, hoping to remove the excess sexual frustration that she hadn't quite rid herself of the previous night.

She started out slow, as she did every morning, warming her body, her legs, before stepping it up and finding her stride. The town was hers this early, no other person was awake, and the streets were empty making it easy to believe she was the only person on the planet. Her run playlist would have surprised most people; heavy metal and hardcore punk were her preferred choice when she hit the road. Charlie, Ginny's older brother had introduced her to them in her teenage years, and she found that it was the only music that made it easy to run, the pounding rhythms matching her stride, the screaming voices drowning out the thoughts that regularly clouded her brain.

And today it was no different. Twenty minutes into the first circuit of the town her head was empty, no thoughts of blonde teachers and their sons. it was one of the reasons why she ran; to clear her head. The pounding music and the steady rhythm of her feet were the only things she was aware of. She'd considered buying a treadmill especially for winter, which was now fairly well established. But the cool air filling her lungs and stinging her face made her feel alive. Gloves and her knitted beanie were sufficient enough to keep her warm, but both were usually removed by the time she'd arrived back home.

She'd taken up running about a year after her parent's accident, discovering that the solitude and complete freedom of the roads were the two things that gave her mind the most clarity. She had no desire to be a professional athlete or run marathons; she simply loved the solo aspect, the sheer willpower of her own self to push through the pain, and the cold, and muscle exhaustion, and just run.

She lengthened her stride, her legs finally warming and loosening, stretching in front of her as she weaved her way through the vacant streets. She reached the edge of town for the second time and looped her way back again, surprised to see the familiar blonde hair of her favourite English teacher fifty meters ahead of her. Unlike herself he was dressed more appropriately for a cold winter run than she was; a long sleeved athletic t-shirt and tight running pants. Everyone thought her crazy, but she preferred short leggings that only covered her from hip to mid-calf, and while in the winter months she would wear a lightweight jacket, she still only had a singlet on underneath – winter was her season. The cold didn't bother her at all.

Hermione couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face, but his arse was, well, it was incredible, and she could certainly get used to the rear view. She smiled, but didn't increase her pace to catch him. She enjoyed her morning run on her own, but was pleased that she no longer had the streets of Grimsby entirely to herself.

* * *

She was watching the clock. 7.54 am. She felt her heart speed up and she hoped he didn't come in. She wasn't sure she could hide last night from her friends if he did, her face would give everything away. But she couldn't stand the thought of not seeing him.

She'd come home from her run - which was supposed to rid her of her frustrations – but after seeing Draco, she was more pent up than when she left. The sight of him running had churned up all those feelings that she almost rid herself of the previous night. She removed her running clothes grimacing at the dirty, sweaty garments and made her way into the bathroom. She stepped inside the shower and sighed at the sensation of the warm water against the ache of her overexerted muscles. She'd pushed herself harder and run two extra miles in the hope the sheer exhaustion would remove him from her thoughts. She closed her eyes which turned out to be a mistake; all she could see was him. Her hand headed slowly south and she hummed softly when her fingers teased her clit. She leaned her free hand against the wall of the shower holding up herself up while she brought herself to that blissful edge; all the images from her fantasies from the previous night flooded back into her head, naked Draco all around her. Hermione let out a soft cry; her head thrown back, mouth open into a pleasured smile.

What she was completely unaware of was that across town Draco was in his own shower, after having seen her running in her tight shorts, and was moaning her name and ridding himself of his own frustrations.

The morning rush had started early and was in full swing, Pansy and Ginny had no choice but to let up on their constant harassment of her. The interrogation of her dinner with Draco and Scorpius had begun the second they'd walked through the door. She simply told them it was fun and Draco was an amazing chef, and that was it. Of course they hadn't believed her and wanted more.

She'd moved away from the counter, Ginny and Pansy made a formidable team; effortlessly serving customers, knowing what the regulars wanted and having it ready for them as they walked through the door. Hermione was happy keep out of their way, having been snapped at by both of them on numerous occasions for disturbing their routine. But today she was glad for the distance. She was confused by her own feelings on the Draco issue, and she didn't need their constant questions.

She was lost in her own thoughts, completely unaware that he had arrived and was watching her. It wasn't until he was only a few steps away from her that she realised he was actually there, the smell of his cologne was unmistakable. She turned and there he was, smiling at her, making her already racing heart beat faster.

"Hey," he said grinning at her, "Did you sleep well?"

She twisted her mouth into a smile, "Hey yourself. And no, I did not."

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Really? Why ever not?

"I'm fairly certain that you already know the answer to that."

He stepped closer to her and her eyes flicked to Ginny and Pansy, who were watching them closely as they continued to placate the regular customers with coffee and muffins. "And what did you do about it?" his face was smug.

Her eyes flicked to his groin, "Probably the same as you," her own smile was as smug as his.

"Hmm, interesting," He shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure what you mean; I simply went for an extra long run this morning."

"I know, I saw you." She said and his face was surprised, "Your arse looks good in tight running pants."

"I'm so glad you approve," Draco laughed, "You didn't think to say hi?"

"No, the mornings are mine. I run alone." She said shaking her head, "Where was Scorpius this morning?"

"Noted and Mrs McGonagall watches him early two mornings a week so I can run," he explained, "So, are you busy on Saturday?"

His question surprised her, "Um, no. Why?"

"Well, Ginny and Harry have agreed to watch Scorp, so I can take you out. Dinner and movie, if you will."

"Are you asking me on a date Mr Malfoy?" she grinned at him, "A pre-emptive date?"

"Pre-emptive?" he frowned.

"When did you organise Ginny and Harry?"

"Oh, that," he laughed, "I may have organised them before last night's dinner. Before my son asked you to dinner."

"He won't be jealous?"

"He's already excited about staying with James, so I don't think it will be a problem," Draco said, "Besides, I saw you first, so it's too bad if he is. So, Saturday night?" he asked.

"Saturday night would be perfect," she said and bit her bottom lip.

Draco's stomach burned with arousal. He wanted to kiss those lips, wanted to slide his tongue into her mouth and taste her again. A smirk pulled at his mouth, and he watched her eyes flick across his face, settling on his own lips and he realised she wanted to kiss him as much he wanted to kiss her.

He stepped closer, leaving barely an inch between them and tipped her chin up, forcing her eyes to look at his, "Perfect," he said and surprised her by kissing her. It was quick, just a simple press of lips but it had her breath catching. It also had Pansy and Ginny almost toppling over the counter. Hermione laughed, which had Draco frowning. She pointed out their audience and he grinned.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said, kissing her again, lingering slightly knowing that Pansy and Ginny would be watching. Hermione grinned as he waved at them and gave them a cheerful _good-bye_ as he walked out the door.

"Hermione?" Pansy called twenty minutes later, "You can stop hiding now."

She'd stayed in the back of the shop, avoiding them both. The morning rush was well over, but she knew she couldn't avoid them much longer.

"I'm not hiding," she told them, "I'm working. I'm well aware that neither of you know the difference."

"Looks like hiding to me." Pansy told her, earning a laugh from Ginny, "So are you going to fill us in on whatever that was?"

Hermione shrugged a shoulder, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't try to be cute," Pansy said, "You don't get kissed in public like that if there's nothing going on."

"Like what?"

"Like he does it every day," Ginny said, "Nothing steamy or raunchy or inappropriate, just a simple everyday kiss."

Hermione looked between the two, both were grinning at her, "Come on Hermione!" Pansy cried, "Are you at least going to tell us something? He see's you every morning, probably calls you every night, then he kisses you like that, and you're not going to tell us one tiny little thing about last night?"

Hermione looked at them both thoughtfully, and then sighed, "Honestly, there's really nothing to tell. We had dinner with his son, and after Scorpius went to bed, we made out like teenagers on the couch and then I went home."

Pansy slapped her arm, "Two hours we've been here and you're just telling us this now!?"

"Close your mouth Ginny, it's very unbecoming." Hermione said, tapping Ginny lightly on the chin, her face smug.

Ginny sputtered, "You didn't think you should have lead with that piece of information? You sly little hussy!"

"I wasn't going to tell you at all. But I figured it would be the only thing that would shut you both up."

"So is this something serious, or is it just groiny?"Ginny asked.

"Groiny? Really?" Hermione scrunched up her nose, "And I have no idea if it's serious."

"He's asked you out again, yeah?" Pansy asked, "And you said yes?" Hermione nodded, "Well, that smile he's put on your face tells me that you think it's more than groiny but not quite serious ...not yet anyway."

Hermione twisted her mouth into a grimace; her friends knew her all too well. These two women knew as much about her as she knew of herself. When it all ended with Oliver - as is always the way with hindsight she knew it inevitably would - they never left her side for days. In fact one night, a week after he had left and she had almost completely collapsed inside herself, the two spent the night with her, shared her bed, hugging her in the way that only best friends could.

"I don't know what this is, I truly don't," she told them.

"Hey, he's not Oliver," Pansy said, "And he's into you, _seriously_ into you. A guy doesn't just kiss you like that, in front of everyone not caring who sees, if he's not into you. You should stop overanalysing this and just go with it."

Pansy was right, he was not Oliver. Not by a long shot. But she couldn't be certain that that wouldn't change. She had thought Oliver was _the one._ The one she would spend the rest of her life with; the one who looked at her and only saw her, and didn't care about the rest of it. But apparently she was wrong, so very wrong. She and Oliver had been dating for five months before she handed him a set of keys to her flat, which led to him staying there most nights. He moved in not long after and it had been amazing, exactly what she'd grown up around; a relationship that, while both parties were almost polar opposites, just fit. He had proposed to her after six months of living together and they were married eight months later. And then over the course of the next year she watched as the doubt crept in and the conversations became stilted and the sex became quiet and the arguments became loud. And then the reality set in and after a year marriage he moved out and straight into the arms of another woman.

And the disappointment and heartbreak moved in. And it had taken months to heal.

And now there was Draco.

Hermione had never been the girl who obsessed over a man before, but that was definitely what she seemed to be doing. Draco wasn't only amazingly attractive, he was incredibly nice. And the obsession had thrown her for a loop. She was reluctant to get involved with him after Oliver, she barely knew Draco, but there was something about him, something that she couldn't quite explain. Something that felt familiar, that felt right and she'd only known him for six weeks.

She looked at both her friends, who were watching her expectantly, and the reality of everything seemed to hit her in that moment. Draco made her feel so amazingly good. It was as simple as that. It was time for her to grow a spine and stop thinking that all the men out there would break her heart. She needed to stop apologizing for herself, to stop blaming herself and take a chance, and if it turned out to be another man walking away from her, then so be it. There was no reason she couldn't enjoy life, and maybe casual sex with Draco was just what she needed.

"You're right," she finally admitted, "I do like him and this could be something or it might just be sex. I guess I'll never know if I keep holding back."


	6. Chapter 6

The waitress brought their food to them; they'd decided to share and Hermione's senses went into overload at the heady mix of aromas emanating from the assortment of small bowls of various vegetarian dishes that had been spread across the table between them.

Draco had surprised her by driving two towns over and taking her to an Indian restaurant. He'd either lucked out or he'd checked with Ginny and Pansy as to what would be her favourite. And to be honest, she wasn't sure which was correct; he seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to things she liked.

"You don't have to go vegetarian because of me," Hermione told him, "I don't mind."

Draco loaded his plate with rice and vegetables, and then proceeded to tear up a Roti, folding it into a small pocket and scooping up some food, "It's perfectly fine. And this is good no matter what."

Hermione watched as he chewed and then followed suit, scooping up some mango rice, and taking a bite. The food had the perfect blend of spice and heat, and was amazingly delicious. She closed her eyes and groaned, "Amazing."

Draco was watching her with thoughtful look on his face.

"What?" she asked, wiping her hand across her chin, "Do I have food on my face?"

"You're very guarded. I know so very little about you." He said.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She knew he'd ask about her, of course he would, he'd want to know – have to know – if this was going to be more than just, as Ginny said, _groiny,_ but she was still at odds as just how much to tell him

Draco continued, "I know that you were married once, and I know that you got fired from one book shop and now own another, and going by that delightful groan – which I hope to hear again," he winked at her, "It appears that you love Indian food."

"And you need to know more than that?" she asked, attempting to deflect his question and steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Well, I'm fairly certain that I know more about Ginny and Pansy than I do about you, and I'm not sure that it's fair. You know I'm a teacher and I have a son and that his mother died. You know he goes to her parents one weekend a month and you know I gave up my private school job so that I could spend more time with him. You also know that I have amazing tastes in wine and that I'm a brilliant cook," he laughed when she rolled her eyes.

Hermione lifted her glass to her mouth, took a large swallow of wine and gave him a contemplative look. "Okay, fine. I guess you'll find out anyway," She sighed, "I was a stripper in my early twenties. It was how I paid my way through University." She took another bite of food, and almost choked with laughter at the look on his face - he looked genuinely confused. "Sorry, I'm just kidding. I never actually went to University."

He scowled at her, "Really? You're going to hide behind jokes and not tell me anything."

"Sorry," she said weakly and shrugged a shoulder, "Sarcasm and humour. It's my best defence."

He tilted his head to the side, "Defence against what?"

She took another bite of food, calming her nerves, "Defence against having to talk about my family and what happened to them." Draco leaned forward, watching her. He silently waited for her to speak, to tell him what she needed to.

Hermione took a deep breath, "I'm an only child of only children, which is a constant throughout my family. Both my parents were only children as were three of my four grandparents, who all passed when I was small, so I never really knew them. I only really ever had my parents. They were the only family I knew." she swallowed hard, "And then when I was nineteen, a woman decided that it would be wise to get in her car and drive home after she'd spent the night drinking at the pub. She ran a stop sign and smashed into my parent's car and she wiped out my entire family, just like that."

Draco remembered the conversation he'd had with Harry and Theo at the pub, how she'd lost her shit and struggled after some issues and he assumed this is what they meant. Draco watched as she mulled over her thoughts, "Hey" he said quietly, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand, "I'm sorry."

She smiled up at him, "It's okay. Really it is. My family has lived here for generations and everyone in town knows what happened. It's been over ten years, but it's difficult sometimes to tell those who don't know."

"And you still miss them?" he smiled back at her, "Believe me, I know."

Hermione nodded, "I do, but over time it's become easier, and I owe a lot to Ginny and Harry and Pansy. They were there when it got really bad."

"How bad did it get?"

"Pretty bad," she said simply, "If it hadn't been for them, who knows where I'd be?"

"Really? That bad?"

Hermione nodded, "It took a long time for the hurt to go away."

"And now?"

"I don't think it'll ever go away completely, but most of the time I'm okay." She grinned at him, "And Molly has taken on the role of parent for me, so she tries to keep me in line."

"And has she been successful?" Draco asked with a laugh.

"Like I said, she tries," Hermione's grin widened, "But so far, she's not done all that well."

"What were they like? Your parents."

Hermione smiled, remembering her parents, "Oh, they were like chalk and cheese, but they worked. They were both dentists, but my dad's true passion was books; which clearly he passed on to me. I'm sure he'd be chuffed that I have a book shop, and I'm even surer that he'd be there every day. He told the worst dad jokes you could imagine, and he was always coming up with crazy new inventions that served absolutely no purpose on this earth and my mum was constantly shaking her head at him.

"And she was the total opposite, serious and organised, neat and tidy. She collected owls, I have no idea why but she loved them. They scared the crap out of me, their stupid big eyes and all those feathers," Hermione shuddered at the thought and Draco laughed, "And she also loved books, so our discussions at dinner time were central to what we were all reading."

"They sound like they were amazing."

"They were," she said, "But I make it sound like it was all rainbows and unicorns. It wasn't. We argued, and fought, we disagreed on many a number of things but it was never nasty or unkind."

Draco's eyes locked on hers and he smiled, "Well, if they were both anything like you, I'm sure they were brilliant."

Hermione's face flushed at the compliment. He was different, unexpected and she'd not had anyone make her feel like he did in a long time. And as the conversation continued; talk about Scorpius, more about her parents, a little about his; she agreed with her internal monologue _Yes,_ _this was most definitely different_.

* * *

Rather stupidly they had decided to park the car at Draco's since it was a clear night and walk to the theatre, being that it was only a few blocks away. But when they left the theatre they were caught in a downpour, so they ran for it and were thoroughly drenched by the time they stepped into the foyer of his flat.

Hermione had never felt so cold in her life. The rain had soaked into her skin and was currently freezing her bones. Her lips were quivering uncontrollably. The muscles in her body had decided to take turns to twitch and spasm, her breath coming out in puffs of white, despite the warmth of Draco's flat.

Draco scowled at her, "You need to get out of those clothes."

She looked at him, "Huh?"

"You need to get out of those clothes or you'll freeze to death."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, "There are way better ways to ask if you want to see me naked."

He pursed his lips and she laughed, "Follow me," he said, leading her down the hallway, "Bathroom's here. There are clean towels in the cabinet."

"And am I supposed to just be naked after I strip out of my wet clothes?" she asked with a coy smile.

"Well, that's entirely up to you," he said giving her shivering frame the once over, "Or I can get you something to put on."

She tilted her head to the side, considering his offer then nodded, "Might be for the best."

He laughed, "I'll be right back."

She pulled towel from the cabinet and ran it over her damp hair. She kicked her shoes off, silently thanking herself for choosing her ballet flats, and not having her favourite boots ruined by the rain.

"Here you go," Draco said and handed her a zip-up hoodie.

She took it from him, holding it up and scrutinizing it, "Well, I guess if this is all you have..."

Draco shrugged, "I'm perfectly happy with you being naked." He reached for the sweater but she pulled it away making him laugh, "You're more than welcome to take a shower, it might warm you up."

"Thank you, but I think I'll be fine."

He smiled at her and backed out of the room, closing the door.

Hermione smiled at the closed door, and pulled her soaked shirt over head. She unbuttoned her jeans, pushing the sodden denim down her legs, stepping out of them and kicking them away; then she reached around and unhooked her bra letting it slide down her arms. Deciding against stripping completely, she left her only slightly damp knickers on and wrapped the large towel around her, drying her cold, pink skin.

She brushed her fingers over her stomach, and closed her eyes. Her fingers felt the now familiar scar that she usually paid no mind. _What would he think?_ The direction things were going with him he would most certainly see it, and would definitely have questions. She sighed and picked up the hoodie, she groaned with delight as slipped it over her shoulders, becoming acutely aware of just how good a fleece sweatshirt felt against bare skin. It was way too big for her, the hem reaching midway down her thighs which was probably a good thing since she was now pants-less. She rolled the sleeves up, picked up her sodden clothes and headed out the door.

She was still shivering when she stepped out of the bathroom, but could feel the blood returning to the surface and slowly warming her up as she walked back into the living room.

"Give me those," Draco said, and took the wet clothes from her, and Hermione crossed the room to stand in front of the gas log fire, the heat stinging at her bare legs.

"Don't put my bra in the dryer!" She called as Draco left the room and she heard a muffled _okay_ followed half a minute later by footsteps as Draco finally returned holding her bra up with one finger.

"And why can't this go in the dryer?" he asked curiously, twisting the scant emerald green lace in the air.

"Because _that_ is worth more than you make in a week, and if you ruin it, I'll have your head." She told him.

His eyes went wide, "You're not serious?"

"Oh, I most certainly am." She said.

He frowned at her, "But why?"

She laughed at the confused look on his face, "I like nice underwear," she shrugged a shoulder, "I figured you would too."

"I certainly appreciate it, but are you serious about the cost?" he was still looking at her bra with confusion.

"It's a girl thing," she said by way of explanation, "And why is it that you get clean, dry pants and I don't?"

"Because I live here," he grinned, "And seriously, there's no way you're getting into my pants."

Hermione flopped down onto the sofa and dragged the blanket from the back, throwing it over her legs and raising her eyebrows at him, "Wow, shut down, just like that."

"No, that's not-" he stammered, his face flushing, "I meant that you wouldn't fit into my pants."

"Again with the compliments." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, no, no," he said, waving his hands, "You're so tiny, and my jeans would just fall off you and...I'll just stop talking now."

She pursed her lips, trying not to laugh, "Good idea," she said nodding.

There was a long conversational pause, "So, um, awkward." He said.

"Coffee might make it less so." Hermione suggested and watched as he high tailed it to the kitchen, smiling to herself. She liked him. _Really_ liked him, but there was so much more at stake here than just her and him. He had a son to think about, and his son would always be his first priority – as he should be. But she couldn't help the juvenile, teenage feelings that she had for him. She was thirty-two years old, it was ridiculous the way he constantly filled her thoughts, the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach each and every morning when he came into her shop.

And Scorpius. This man had done a great job raising his son. He was polite and respectful, and had a wicked sense of humour, and she'd not known a child to love books as much as she had. As much as she loved spending time with Draco, she equally loved the time she had spent with his son.

Draco returned holding two steaming mugs, and stopped a few steps away from the couch.

She was sitting on his couch, wearing his sweater, looking exactly like she belonged there, looking like she sat there every day. And he knew she was exactly what he wanted. Hermione frowned slightly at him, wondering what he was thinking, but she had almost no time to ponder. Without thinking he almost dropped the mugs on the table, coffee spilling out as he swooped in, his hands on her cheeks and he kissed her. Draco's fingers slid into her hair holding her to him as his lips crashed against hers, and this was more than a simple kiss; this was a desperate need for her. She made a strangled sound of surprise, her hands flailing against his hips, scrambling for purchase so as not to tumble back.

He placed his knee between her legs on the couch, steadying himself, the grasping of her fingers digging into his hips causing him to almost topple sideways. His thumbs moved lightly across her cheekbones, her skin soft and warm beneath his touch. He pulled back, smiling down at her, waiting for her reaction, _Draco_ she whispered running her thumb across his lips.

He kissed her thumb, "Tell me this is okay," She was still caressing his face, gently brushing her thumb across his cheek, "Tell me." He almost begged.

"This is okay," she said at last, and he leaned in, opening his mouth against hers, his tongue exploring her mouth as she slid her hands into this hair, pulling him with her as she lay back on the soft cushions.

She twisted beneath him, so that he was cradled between her thighs. He broke the kiss with a gasp, grinding the evidence of his rapidly growing arousal against her own growing heat. She moved her hands down his back, pulling at his t-shirt, and pressing her fingers into the hard muscles of his lower back. He groaned into her neck, as her fingers slid just beneath the waist band of his jeans pressing into the hard flesh. A small cry escaped her throat, as he slowly ground himself against her, the seam of his jeans rubbing across her centre in the most perfect way.

Hermione let out a small moan as she pressed back against him, and Draco mimicked it as he leaned in, kissing her neck, tasting her, nipping gently at her flushed skin with his teeth. Her breathy little moan had him grinding harder against her, her fingers clutching at his back as he continued to suck and bite and kiss at her throat and jaw. She grappled with his t-shirt, pulling it up, growling with frustration when it caught between them. He pushed himself up, kneeling between her legs and pulled the offending garment over his head and tossing it aside. His hands moved slowly over her knees and down the insides of her thighs, over her hips and to the zipper of the hoodie. Her eyes flicked down to his hands as they began to lower the zipper.

Draco's phone suddenly rang; a loud shrill sound in the silence and caused them both to freeze.

"You're fucking kidding me." Draco groaned, and Hermione laughed. He dropped his forehead to her collar bone, "Maybe it we ignore it..."

The phone continued to ring, and Hermione sighed. She reached out to the coffee table, scrambling to pick it up and handed it to him, "It might be important."

"Shit," he cursed and sat back on the sofa. He pressed the accept button and took the call, "Ginny, hi...no, it's fine...sure, put him on...Hey, mate. Are you okay?...I miss you too...We did, the movie was great..." he grinned at Hermione, "Um, we're just having coffee and then she's going home" Hermione grinned back at him, "Did you need me to come and get you?...are you sure?" Hermione sat up, and squeezed his arm, nodding at him, indicating it was fine if his son needed him but he held up his hand, "Okay, well call me if you need me...I love you too. Put Ginny back on."

Hermione listened to the rest of the conversation, figuring out that Scorpius had gone to bed, but had woken with a fright, calling for Draco. A bad dream Ginny had said but she and Harry managed to calm him. And although he wanted to call Draco, he was happy to stay. "Call me if you need me...doesn't matter what time...thanks Ginny."

He looked at Hermione, "He's my son, and I love him, but if he keeps interrupting us, I will kill him."

Hermione laughed, "Is he okay?"

Draco nodded, "I think so. Staying somewhere different probably just unsettled him. This is all new for him. He's never had so many new people in his life. Especially ones who love him so much."

"Wow, really?"

Draco ran his hand along her thigh, "Yeah. I mean he's had friends, lots of them, but nothing like all you lot. You're just one big family. And he's never had that."

"Well, we're happy to have him."

"Just him?" Draco asked with a smirk, his hand shifting higher to settle at the hinge of her thigh and hip.

"Well," Hermione began with a smirk of her own, "You're welcome to be a part of the group, but I'd prefer to be the only one who _has_ you."

"Good," Draco said, "Because I also hate to share." He kissed her, his fingers lacing through her hair. His thumb found the sensitive skin behind her ear, stroking it gently, causing her to shiver. He pulled her onto his lap, and Hermione felt him hard against her.

She sighed into the kiss and she reached her hand down trailing it across his belly, her fingers tracing along the line of fine hair that lead in a tantalising trail down his navel and disappeared teasingly beneath his jeans. Her hand moved lower, across his fly, rubbing firmly. His breath hitched, and he cursed quietly against her shoulder and she reached for the zipper of his uncomfortably tight jeans.

His hands slid around to cup her arse and he stood easily, startling her. She gripped his shoulders and shot him a perplexed look, "We're not doing this on the couch like a pair of horny teenagers."

Draco hitched her legs over his hips and carried her into his bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, her knees landing on the soft mattress either side of his hips. He skimmed his palms along her thighs, running them slowly up and down, until she slid down his legs, pressing herself to the place where he was hard and aching for her. One of Draco's hands stilled on her arse, gripping and kneading her warm flesh, revelling in the sensation of her grinding slowly against him. Her arms circled his shoulders, pulling him closer and he dropped his head to her shoulder with a soft groan.

His fingers snaked under her top, circling slowly against her now heated skin, before reaching up to find the zipper on the hoodie, pulling it down and exposing her naked chest. He stared at the sight before him, breathing hard.

"Like what you see?" Hermione asked playfully, shrugging the sweater from her shoulders and he grinned.

"Oh, yeah."

She leaned forward, her tongue tracing around his ear, "As good as you imagined at the pub?"

Draco made a choking sound, "You caught that, huh?"

"Kind of hard to miss when you were staring at them all night."

"Can you blame me?" He asked reaching his hand up and gently squeezing her, his thumb brushing lightly over her nipple, a pleasant heat running through him at her tiny moan. He dragged the soft cotton down her arms, and tossed it across the room. She pressed against him, their chests flush, warm, and rising and falling as their breathing increased. His mouth was back on hers, his kiss deep and needy, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. He buried his fingers into the chestnut curls of hair, gently tugging her head back to gain access to her throat.

He had wanted her like this for the past week – longer, actually – and since the teasing taste he was given on the couch after dinner the previous weekend, he had gone to sleep every night with his dick in his hand, letting his imagination run wild; wanting know every dip and curve of her body, every freckle and every scar, had wanted to feel her wrapped tightly around him, wanted to make her cry out his name.

He paused and lifted his head to stare into her eyes. Her face was flushed pink, her eyes bright, her breathing deep, almost gasping, and she was smiling. He smiled back, suddenly struck by just how beautiful she was.

"I want you," he said quietly and noticed a small flicker in her eyes and he wondered fleetingly if she was still not ready. He certainly hoped she was, he wasn't sure he could cope with another night with just his hand, "I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you. But it's up to you."

Hermione's fingers traced along his brow, along his cheekbones, across his lips, "From the first moment, huh? I guess I left a good impression."

Draco chuckled and slipped his hands to her rear and squeezed making her squirm, "I saw nothing I didn't like."

She laughed, then covered his mouth with her own, kissing him deeply, "I want you too." She told him.

He scooped his arms under her rear and lifted her, turning them easily and dropping her to the bed with a playful bounce. His hands went to his belt, unbuckling it and shoving his jeans down his legs. Hermione bit her bottom lip, watching as he pushed his boxers over his hips dropping them to the floor.

He grinned at her, "Like what you see?"

She laughed and told him, "Oh. Yeah."

His erection was long and thick and curved upwards from the dark blonde curls at its base, his heavy sac hanging low beneath it. Hermione sat up, reaching out to touch him. She teased him, stroking lightly with her fingertips, feeling every ridge of his heated flesh. She leaned her head forward and kissed his stomach, tasting the saltiness of his smooth skin. The running was doing him well; Draco was all lean and sculpted and well defined muscle. She moved lower, his cock brushing against her chin and he gripped her shoulder.

"Hermione," his voice was tight, almost strained. He was sure that if she did what he thought she was planning, it would all be over in the blink of an eye.

She glanced up at him and grinned, she flicked her tongue across the tip of him and reached for his hand, slowly laying back and pulling him with her. Draco stretched over her, settling between her thighs, capturing her mouth. She smelled amazing; a perfect blend of sweet perfume and Hermione. He breathed her in, the smell of her seared to his memory. Her thighs were warm and smooth as they slid against his ribs when she hitched her legs over his hips.

He was not what she had expected at all. She had imagined hard, frantic fucking, but this was different; he was taking his time, his fingers slipping lightly over her skin, his mouth pressed against her throat, her shoulder, her collar bone. She sighed, and relaxed beneath him, her fingers carding through his hair. The clench of his teeth around her nipple had her groaning and arching against him.

"Draco," she whispered and he looked up at her.

"Tell me what you want." He murmured against her skin, his mouth closing over her other nipple causing all coherent thoughts to disappear from her brain instantly.

He trailed his fingers the along her ribs as he sucked at one hardened peak, pulling lightly, his teeth grazing her gently. She moaned his name, her voice rasping, her fingers clutching the back of his neck. He swirled his tongue, the sounds of her gasping moans in his ears had every fantasy he'd had in the last few weeks rushing full speed through his mind. She arched her back, a breathy plea urging him on, to suck harder, to take more time with each breast in turn. He glanced up, her head had dropped back and more and more pleasured sounds were filling the room. He tried to ignore the breathy sounds, the slow rock of her hips beneath him; he couldn't focus on that or it would all be over way too quickly.

His hands moved to the line of her hip bones, as he began to kiss his way down her stomach and Hermione froze beneath him. Draco stopped instantly, about to ask if she was okay, and that's when he noticed that she had a scar that ran from her left hip to about an inch past her navel. He'd been far too fixated on her breasts to notice the pink mark. It was faded, considerably so, but he knew something serious had caused it. He glanced up at her; and she was staring down at him, an unreadable look on her face.

"Hermione?" he asked softly, and her lips twitched slightly as he gently traced his finger across the scar, "Are you okay?" She swallowed hard and nodded. He moved back up her body and pressed his hand to her cheek, smiling down at her, "What happened? Please tell me."

She took a deep breath, hoping that this wouldn't change things, that he would stay, that he would still want to be with her, "Um, well..." she began but she was terrified. Every other time this had come up, she'd been abandoned, left heartbroken, no men wanted to be with her and she didn't want him to do the same.

Draco moved off her, rolling to his side and pushing up on one elbow. He focused solely on her, suddenly aware that this was serious, something had happened to her, something very serious had happened, "Hermione," He said gently, "Whatever you need to tell me, please, just tell me. It'll be okay."

"I should have told you, you deserve to know, but it's not easy to talk about. It should be, I can't change-" She was rambling and he stopped her.

"Hermione, you can talk to me," His voice was gentle, reassuring, but she was still looking at him, her eyes unsure. He brushed her hair from her face and nodded.

"When my parents were killed, in the car accident," she paused giving him a small smile, "I was with them. In the car. In the crash." Draco's eyes went wide, but he remained silent, slightly stunned that she'd left this detail out when she'd told him about her parents, but there was obviously a reason for her to do so. "I got pretty banged up. My pelvis was broken and I was in a medically induced coma for over a week because my brain swelled, and there were other, um...complications."

She paused and studied his face. There was no judgement, only concern. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, he was smiling at her, silently waiting for her to tell him what she needed to. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach, "When I said she wiped out my entire family, she also wiped out any potential for a future family. This scar means I can no longer have children."

She watched as he looked at his hand on her stomach, lightly brushing his thumb back and forth over the mark, as if studying it, and she waited for the inevitable _I want to have a family so this can't be more than one night_ speech that she usually got.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead and she swallowed the lump that had seemed to have permanently lodged itself in her throat. It was an unexpected gesture, different from all the others. He pulled back and looked at her, brushing an errant lock of hair from her eyes, "You must have went through hell."

It was another surprise, his response, and she couldn't stop the tears that spilled, "I did," she sniffed, "But compared with my parents, I was lucky. I survived with a few scars."

He lightly touched the side of her head, "You're okay now though?"

Hermione nodded, "Perfectly fine," she shrugged, "Well, almost perfectly fine."

Draco smiled at her, "You look pretty perfect to me."

"Not many others think so,"

He frowned at her, "Why not?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "The few guys that have preceded you, well, their futures included children and I couldn't give them that. So it was rarely more than one time, so I simply gave up on relationships."

"You're joking?" Draco looked disgusted and Hermione shook her head.

"I told you I was married, right?" she asked, and Draco nodded, "A part of the reason that he left was that he decided he wanted more. Children. A family. And with me there was no possible way," She sighed, "It's the reason I'm on my own, it's easier than the heartbreak."

"And he didn't think about it before he asked you to marry him?" Draco was frowning.

"I guess some people need to be smacked in the face with the truth before they actually realise the reality of the situation." She looked him directly in the eye, "Draco, I need you to know this about me, that there will be no _oops_ baby with me, no baby full stop. You _should_ know this about me so you can decide."

Draco took her in, she was breathtaking, he had thought as much from the moment he first met her, and now she was even more so since she chose to share her darkness with him, "Decide what?" he asked gently, "If I want to be with you? Because I've already decided that. And this," He touched her stomach, "This is a part of who you are. Nothing is wrong with you, you're perfect, and I would like to thank the others for leaving you for me."

"You're sure?" she asked, her voice tentative, unsure that he meant what he said.

"I've never been more certain about anything," he nodded, "My son is the most important person in my life, but you are becoming equally as important to me." He smiled at her, cupping her face with his hands and wiping the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs. He kissed her, a soft, gentle kiss that told her everything she needed to know; he was serious about her, and the fact that she couldn't have a child with him meant nothing. He simply accepted her as she was, "Hermione, we don't have to do this if you're not ready."

She smiled at him, kissing him and whispering _thank you_ , then her hand was on his cock and he closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. Her hand was soft and warm and he exhaled a shaky breath, "Are you sure?" he asked.

Her smile turned into a smirk, and she tightened her grip on him, "Well, we did get naked, it would be a shame to waste the effort."

His hand slipped over her hip, his fingers tracing the lace of her underwear, "You're not naked," he pointed out and she laughed.

"What are you planning on doing about that?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

Draco grinned and rolled her to her back, he buried his face in her neck, and slipped his hand between her thighs, and he found her damp and they both gasped. He sucked kisses into her neck, while his fingers teased her, rubbing against the sodden lace. Hermione arched beneath him, and the sudden urge to be inside her almost pushed him over the edge. He clenched his jaw, he wanted to be with in every way possible, but he knew he needed to slow down, to show her that he wasn't like the others, that he wanted more than just one night with her. He reined himself in, slowing down; kissing along the warmth of her skin, going lower, lower, lower until he trailed his tongue along the edge of lace.

He hooked his fingers into the band of her emerald green knickers, and he quirked an eyebrow at her, "Matching?" he asked and she nodded.

"Always matching," she said and brushed her fingers through his hair.

He kissed her belly and dragged them slowly down her legs and he heard her gasp as he slowly lifted her knee, running his hand along the inside of her thigh, following his hand with his lips. Her hips rocked, shifting slightly as his name fell from her mouth in a gasped whisper when his mouth landed on her soaked core. A low moan growled from his chest and her name followed. He heard a sharp intake of breath as his tongue stroked lightly against her clit. He licked in small circles, licked up and down, side to side, teasing her until she was rocking against him and tugging at his hair.

Hermione's belly clenched and her hips pushed back against the friction his mouth was causing. A quiet _ah!_ escaped her when he increased the pressure over her clit. Her head slammed back into the pillows, choking his name as he slid two fingers into her, bringing her closer and closer to release. Hermione shuddered under his touch; it had been so long and the dual sensation of his fingers and mouth had her unable to catch her breath. Her legs began to shake, his fingers moving faster, his mouth covering her, his teeth biting down gently. She cried out as he hit her g-spot, her orgasm washing over her, overpowering her senses. Draco continued to lick every bit of her, riding out her pleasure until she pushed at his head and told him to stop.

She was breathing hard, her skin flushed, her body still shuddering with aftershocks. Draco gave her clit one last kiss and shifted from between her thighs, eyeing the scar on her belly. He slowly bent down, not wanting to startle her, and pressed his lips lightly to her. Her hand flew to his shoulder, gripping him, but he didn't lift his head, instead he continued to kiss along the length of it, from her navel to her hip. He felt her fingers ease when he nipped at her hip, and he smiled.

"Perfect," he whispered and began running his lips and tongue back up her body, stopping to wrap his lips around her nipple.

Hermione cupped his jaw, pulling him up to her mouth, kissing him frantically, her hands grappling at his back. Draco pressed his body to hers, rocking his hips, his cock sliding against her soaking heat. Each pass across her clit elicited a moan. She hissed a breath between her clenched teeth and dove her hand between them, wrapping her fingers around him and guiding him lower.

"Wait." Draco said, her hand freezing on his hard length. He reached for the nightstand, pulling a condom from the drawer and holding it up to her.

She smiled at him, amazed at his consideration. She took the small packet from him, turning it over in her hand. She'd not had to worry about protection, not for a while now. She'd never used it with Oliver, she'd never had to. And in the three years since he'd left, well, this would be the first time in those three years it needed to be considered.

She looked up at Draco who was staring down at her, watching her as she contemplated what exactly to do. He'd not pushed her when she'd said _no sex_ ; he'd allowed her to control this, to make the decision when she was ready. He had been patient and had not once asked why. She didn't want to put a perfect label on him, but right now in this moment he was pretty close.

"It's been three years," She told him, "And it was only with Oliver before that. And I'm clean."

Draco cupped her face, "Same for me," he said quietly, "Not with Oliver, but three years. But we can use that, it's up to you."

Hermione laughed and shook her head and brushed her hand across his cheek, "Where did you come from?" she asked tossing the condom onto the nightstand and shifting beneath him, feeling the head of his cock pressing hard against her clit.

Draco leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Is this what you want? Are you sure?"

"Yes," she whispered, her hips rocking off the bed.

Draco's tip brushed against her entrance and Hermione hooked her feet over his hips, her heels digging into his arse attempting to pull him closer, "Draco, please," she whimpered, and he lowered his forehead to hers and finally pushed into her.

They moaned in unison at the feeling of finally being together. Draco buried his face into her neck and moaned softly at the feel of her; she was so fucking tight and hot around him. She wrapped her arms around him pulling him flush against her and kissing him deeply, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Oh, fuck," He groaned, his fingers digging into the pillow beside her head, "Hermione, fuck."

She looked up at him and sucked in a breath. She wasn't sure what this was, but the complete intimacy of him buried deep inside her without moving, just simply staring down at her, his eyes so intense, made her want to cry. He leaned down and kissed her gently, a small whimper escaped her and she locked her eyes to his, running her hand across his jaw. His eyes were dark and serious, burning into her. His mouth descended to hers again and this kiss was different, full of heat and passion. The slow burn he'd started began to build, spreading through her and pooling in her core.

"Draco," she moaned, "Please, move. I need to feel you."

She choked out a cry when he finally moved. A slow, measured pace that felt like the most pleasurable torture she'd ever experienced, the slow grind of his pelvis repeatedly sliding over her already swollen clit sending a shockwave of pleasure through her as he pushed deeper and deeper into her. She locked her ankles around his waist, and circled her hips against his, meeting his every thrust. His lips moved to her neck, her shoulder, her collar bone, whispering her name between every kiss.

Hermione closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. She smiled at the feeling of him moving inside her. He kept the pace slow, allowing her body to adjust to his thickness. She felt stretched; she felt so full, "Tell me," she whispered opening her eyes to look at him.

"You feel...you feel fucking amazing," he murmured, pulling himself up on his knees, thrusting more steadily into her. His fantasies hadn't even come close. He could never have imagined the exquisite feel of her, the heat, the pink flush on her skin, the breathy moans.

He lowered himself back down, and they began to move effortlessly. She raised her hips to meet his every thrust, her hands digging into his arse, pulling him deeper and he hissed against her neck. He slammed his hips against hers, pulling a loud moan from deep within her throat. He repeated the movement, pulling almost completely out of her, and slamming back in, increasing the intensity and building the friction with every thrust. Her body began to burn, her every nerve alight with the sensation of him sliding through her. She felt the deep pull inside as her body began to flutter around him.

"Draco...oh!" She groaned as she spasmed around him, throwing her head back and arching her spine.

Draco watched as she fell apart beneath him, her entire body tensing, her mouth open, a silent scream leaving her. His hips slowed, her tight walls pulsing around his cock. She was drenched; her flesh surrounding him was slick, pulling him deeper into her. Her legs clamped around his hips; she came once, and when he pressed his thumb to her clit, she came again.

Draco was holding still above her, his arms trembling, his breathing shallow and he swallowed hard at the sight of her; bare breasts and toned stomach, her skin shining with sweat, her scent and the whimpers emanating from her blurring his brain.

He began to move again, his gaze on her as he slid slowly through her slick heat. Hermione let out a groan at the feel of him, her body still sensitive from the earth shattering orgasms he'd just given her. She should have known that he'd be good at this. For all his faults, Oliver had been great in bed - not that she liked to admit it - but Draco made him look amateurish.

She groaned again and Draco smirked, "Good?" he asked, still moving slowly, and she nodded.

"Too much?"

"No," she breathed, "Keep going."

Draco increased his pace, thrusting more quickly against her. Hermione's head dropped back, a loud moan falling from her mouth, and he grinned, "Is this what you like?" he asked and Hermione let out a shuddering breath, unable to answer him.

"Or maybe this is what you like," he slowed his pace, earning a mewling whine from her.

Her eyes were still closed but he saw her jaw clench, "Stop teasing and fuck me," she said through gritted teeth.

He smirked and continued to move slowly.

"Draco," she ground out, "Harder."

But he refused, continuing the agonisingly slow pace. He wanted to watch her fall apart again.

"Give me one more," he whispered and her eyes snapped open.

He was watching her, his face flushed, his body slick with sweat. She pulled her legs higher, spreading herself wider and clenched her inner muscles tightly around him. He swore and gripped her thighs, hooking his elbows beneath her knees, pushing them towards her chest and he began to fuck into her, his thrusting erratic and hard, and she cried out, the sound pulling him to the brink. He lifted his head to watch her; she arched beneath him, moaning his name as he felt her come once more.

His body shuddered, and cursing he collapsed on her, incoherently mumbling words against her skin as he came.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, the light snore from the warm body pressed against her pulling her from her sleep. She rolled slowly to her side, pushing herself up on one elbow and glanced at the glowing numbers on the clock beside the bed – 4am it read. She reached carefully across him, switching on the bedside lamp and smiling in the subtle light. He was lying on his back, one arm circling his head, the other flung protectively over her hip. His breathing was even and his face tranquil; his strong jaw now covered in a light stubble, long lashes resting on his high cheek bones.

A jumble of images from the previous night flashed through her mind; his mouth on her breast, his warm breath on her skin, the slide of his belly against hers. She'd been with other men, but none of them had made her feel like he had. The warmth of his touch, the way he moved, the whispered words. There had been no hesitation, he'd been completely with her, worshipping her with such reverence her entire body almost hummed.

It had been so long since she'd had someone sleeping beside her, so long since she felt completely comforted by another man. Her mind flashed to Oliver, and she hated him even more for intruding in this moment. He'd never held her when she slept, never even touched her. He was all for the great sex but he liked his space when he slept.

And she'd never thought it odd until this moment.

The simple touch of Draco's hand on her hip had a warmth spreading through her and a smile crossing her face. She pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder and ran her hand across his chest feeling the rise and fall with each breath he took. He was stunning. There was really no other word for it, simply stunning.

The gentle warmth spreading through her became a sudden heat and she found herself wanting him. Now.

She pulled the covers back slowly, finding him hard and ready, and she smirked, wondering what exactly he was dreaming. She pressed kisses to his chest and stomach, in an attempt to wake him, but his reaction was to simply murmur something unintelligible and remain asleep. Leaning in, she ran her tongue around the shell of his ear, whispering his name, her hand sliding down his torso, and wrapping her fingers around him, stroking him lightly. He murmured again and shifted his hips, and she bit her lip, the want of him between her thighs rose steadily heating her core. His eyes flickered and her name left his lips in a whimper when she increased the pressure of her grip. She licked her lips, the sudden need to taste him was overwhelming, and she knew he'd wake instantly when she took him in her mouth. And she was right.

Draco's eyes flew open. Something warm and wet was sliding around his cock. _Surely she wasn't?_ He groaned and looked down at the mass of curls brushing against his thighs and stomach, _Oh, fuck! Yes she was._

"Hermione?" He groaned, not believing his eyes. Hermione looked up at him, her mouth smiling around his shaft, before continuing the slow torture she was currently performing.

She felt him shift, rising up on his elbows, brushing her hair from her face and watching her as her mouth bobbed up and down. Her teeth lightly grazed his shaft and her tongue swirled around his tip on every movement.

She pressed a hand to his stomach, her fingers drawing circles across his skin, mimicking her tongue circling his cock. His wildest fantasies had not even come close to the feeling of the wet heat of her mouth, the way her tongue slid against him, the tight suction as she moved her head up and down. Draco cursed loudly when she lightly ran her fingers up the inside of his thigh and cupped his heavy balls in her palm, squeezing them gently and rolling them along her palm. He looked down to see her watching him. She smiled around his cock, a mischievous glint in her eye as she slid her hand from his balls, down his thigh, reaching between her own thighs.

"Fuck, Hermione!" He groaned, watching her hand move frantically between her legs.

 _If I ever meet her arsehole ex husband, I'll shake his hand and thank him for leaving her_ Draco thought, his hips jerking upwards, and she moaned around him, her mouth vibrating around his shaft, _What moron leaves this?_

He swore again as she increased the suction, picking up her pace. His hips continued to move in tiny thrusts, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked harder. He could feel the pressure building low in his spine, spreading to his balls and along his shaft.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He cried out when she paused at his tip, her tongue sliding along the slit, lapping at the beads of moisture gathering there. As much as he wanted her to continue, the overwhelming desire to be inside her gripped him. He sat up and pulled her into his lap, her knees landing either side of his hips.

She smirked at him, "You weren't enjoying that?"

"On the contrary, you can do that anytime you like." His voice was deep, almost a growl, "But right now, there's another tight hole my cock wants to be inside of."

"Is that what you were dreaming about?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and he frowned, "Because whatever was going on in your head was certainly causing a... _rise_ in you."

He laughed and brushed his thumb across her lips, "No, I think you had it right. Your mouth gets a _rise_ out of me all the time."

"Well maybe I should finish what I started." she kissed his chest, moving lower but he gripped her arms and pulled her back to him.

"No," he told her, "If you keep doing that it will be over all too quickly."

Hermione smiled at his admission and cupped his jaw, pulling him towards her, crashing her lips against his. He opened his mouth allowing her tongue to slide against his. She moaned into his mouth, and before he could flip them over and fuck her into the mattress, she reached her hand down and stroked him. He had teased her into a quivering mess just a few hours ago and now it was her turn to have him melting beneath her.

He inhaled a sharp breath and his teeth sunk into his bottom lip, his jaw clenching as her grip on him tightened and her hand continued to move slowly over him. Her thumb brushed over the tip and he shuddered, his stomach clenching. He cursed and shifted his hips, digging his fingers into her lower back.

"More," he murmured and nodded when she increased the speed of her hand and asked _like that?_

Not wanting him to finish with just her hand, she pushed him gently and he fell back to the bed. Her hands slid across his stomach, his muscles clenching as her fingertips brushed against his heated skin. She leaned forward, kissing his chest, her teeth biting his nipple causing him to jerk beneath her. She dragged her tongue across his chest, biting gently at the juncture of his shoulder and neck, her hands gripping his hair, roughly pulling his head back, so her tongue could continue to taste every inch of him.

She smiled smugly at the low groans sounding from him. She sat up, his hard length slipping between her slick folds as she rocked her hips, before she wrapped her hand around his cock giving him one last firm stroke and positioning his tip at her wet opening. She bit her lip, and then smiled at him before sinking slowly down onto him **.**

His lips parted and he let out a shaky exhale, his fingers gripping her hips ** _._**

When he was all the way inside her, she leaned forward, placing her forearms either side of his head and kissing him deeply. His hands gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her soft flesh. He grew impossibly harder inside her, his cock straining and swelling and feeling like he would last mere seconds.

She continued to lick his skin, her fingers pinching at his nipples. He threw his head back and groaned her name, his hips thrusting upwards. She squeezed her inner muscles around him, clenching and unclenching, teasing him, slowly moving her hips

"Hermione," he whispered from beneath her, her hands were pressed firmly against his chest as she rode him slowly, torturously.

Draco sat up, wrapping his arms around her pulling her flush against his body. He kissed the valley between her breasts, the skin over her heart, his fingers digging into her back as he thrust up into her and she moaned his name into his shoulder.

She sucked at his neck and kissed her way up to his clenched jaw, "So good," she murmured against his lips, "You feel so fucking good." She pulled back, her eyes locking on his, as her hips continued their slow grind, moving in tiny circles. Draco shifted his hand, moving it between them to press against her clit and her head dropped back, a quiet moan punctuated the air. He tried to speed her up, but she refused, keeping her movements slow and measured.

Draco was unravelling, faster than he would have liked. Her murmured words, her tight heat surrounding his cock. She felt incredible, a feeling he never wanted to lose. "Faster," he begged, "Faster, please."

Hermione smirked, "Are you begging, Mr Malfoy?"

Draco gripped her hips harder, "Yes," he groaned.

"And what is it that you're begging me for?"

He was breathing hard, but managed to ground out, "I'm begging you to fuck me."

Hermione leaned forward, pressing her chest to his, her tongue dragging along his jaw. Her teeth bit down on his ear lobe, and her voice was deep and husky when she whispered, _because you asked so nicely._ And she began to ride him hard, squeezing her inner muscles around him as she slammed down hard and fast, her clit sliding against his pelvis as his cock hit the sweet spot inside her. Her orgasm was building deep in her belly, threatening to explode. She felt his cock swell inside of her, pulsating through her heat,

"Give it up Draco." Her voice was barely a whisper, "Come inside me. Let me watch you."

Draco leaned back, reaching his arms behind him supporting himself. He threw his head back, screwing his eyes shut, thrusting up into her, matching her pace. Their heavy breaths and their sweaty bodies slapping against each other were the only sounds in the room. He wanted to wait for her but he couldn't hold on. His fantasies hadn't done her justice; the way she felt, the way she looked, the way she moved hadn't come close to even the wildest fantasies he'd had.

Oh, he'd be definitely sending a _thank you_ note to her idiot ex husband.

His body tensed beneath her, "Oh, Fu-" he cried out, "Hermione, fuck!" She felt the liquid heat from his cock spill into her body and she stilled, feeling him pulse inside her. The intimacy of their position, of watching him fall apart, of him coming inside her took her breath away. She reached down to where their bodies were joined, her fingertips brushing against him and he choked out a strangled cry.

She began to move slowly, mimicking his own torturous slide from the previous night. She was close, not sure if she could get there without him, but she need not worried. He reached between them, pulling her own hand away and rubbing furiously against her clit. She clutched at his shoulders as she rode him. Her own orgasm hit her hard and fast, surging through her, as she spasmed around him, her head thumping against his shoulder, moaning his name.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his head against her chest, breathing hard. Hermione brushed her hands through his sweat soaked hair, and rested her cheek on the top of his head. She felt him softening inside her, but she didn't want to move, didn't want to lose the intimacy of the moment, the feeling of their naked bodies wrapped together.

Draco shifted beneath her, falling backwards to the mattress, pulling her with him. She moved down his body, pressing their chests together, nuzzling her face into his neck. His hands were rubbing slowly up and down her spine, her body completely relaxed and sated and enjoying this moment of complete bliss.

"Draco," she whispered.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her shoulder, "Fantasy Hermione has nothing on you."

She lifted her head and raised an eyebrow, "Fantasy Hermione?"

"Oh, yeah. I've had some wild nights with her."

"Really?" Hermione giggled, "Well then you will be pleased to know that Fantasy Draco has been showing me a good time as well."

"We're pathetic, you know that?" He laughed.

Hermione rolled off him, wincing as he slid out of her. She rolled to her side, and he mirrored her pose, their legs tangled together, his arm reaching across her hip. She ran her fingers along the warm skin of his arm, goose bumps rising on his flesh.

"You are beautiful," he whispered, kissing her gently.

"So are you," she said, making him laugh.

Draco reached down and pulled the covers over them, shifting closer to her and pulling her to him so their bodies were pressed together. He leaned into her and pressed another soft kiss to her mouth. She sighed softly and he asked quietly, "Would it be inappropriate of me to ask that it's only me that gets to see you like this?"

She brushed his hair from his forehead and kissed him gently, "At the moment, you are the only one."

"Good," he said with a grin, "Because I don't share."

Hermione laughed, "Well, neither do I."

"I'm glad we've settled that then," Draco kissed her and tentatively put his hand on her stomach, "Can I ask about this?"

"What do you want to know?" She ran her hand down his chest and he stilled it with his hand, bringing it to his lips.

"Only as much as you want to tell me." He kissed her fingers and smiled.

Hermione was watching his lips on her hand, a tiny gesture that made her heart flutter. She cleared her throat and then raised her eyes to his, "I was lucky to survive. My mother was killed instantly, but my dad lingered for two days. There was no way he was going to survive, but he held on anyway. He was stubborn like that," she smiled at him, "Of course, I had no idea about any of it; I was barely hanging on myself. I'd been trapped beneath the dashboard and my pelvis was broken and the internal damage was irreversible."

"Your pelvis was broken, and yet you run like you do?" He looked suitably impressed.

"I didn't happen right away," she laughed, "It was almost a year of rehab before I took up running, and even then snails were overtaking me. There was a lot of pain and anger and even more cursing before I ran my first mile."

Draco grinned at her, running his thumb across her bottom lip "Did you swear as much before the crash?"

She snorted a laugh, "Yeah, that's one thing that didn't change."

"How long-" he hesitated and Hermione palmed his cheek.

"Draco, you can ask me anything you want," she said, "I prefer that you did."

Draco kissed her palm, "How long was it before they told you about your parents?"

"I was in a coma for about ten days before I stabilised, and since i had so many drugs running through me, it was another week before I was truly aware of what was happening. Harry told me then." Her brows pulled together, "I was pretty angry. Harry bore the brunt of it, but I guess that's why he told me. He knew how I'd react. That I'd blame the person who told me. I knew it wasn't his fault, but at the time it was easier to blame everyone around me, rather than the faceless woman who actually killed them."

"And the driver?"

"Jail," Hermione said simply, "She got the maximum; fourteen years for my each of my parents and another four for the damage to me."

He cupped her jaw, studying her face, "I can't even imagine what you went through."

She shook her head, "It was no worse than you losing Scorpius's mother."

"No," he disagreed, "I wasn't physically hurt by that. What you had to...I can't even...how did you do it?"

"I didn't cope at all at first. I kind of went off the rails for a while. I was angry at everyone, not just the driver," she drew her finger along the faded scar, "I refused to leave the house, except to go to my physical rehab. I refused to talk to talk to any of my friends, but Harry still came to see me every day, even though all of those visits were silent. I pretty much became a hermit, and didn't deal with what had happened at all. I figured if I pretended it didn't happen, all the pain would go away."

"I'm assuming it didn't?"

Hermione laughed, "No, it didn't help at all. In fact it just made me worse. But being the stubborn arse that I am, I refused any and all help. I just wanted to be left alone to wallow in my own misery. And then Harry and Ron decided that they'd had enough of my pathetic attitude and yelled at me and told me to get off my lazy arse and to stop being a miserable git."

Draco laughed, "No, they didn't!"

Hermione grinned and nodded, "Oh, they did. And Pansy and Ginny got in on the torture as well. And they all became the bane of my existence. They had had enough of my crap and showed me no sympathy, pushed me past my limits and got me back on my feet. And even though I treated them all like crap, they never left my side. Not for one minute."

"Good friends, huh?"

"At the time I didn't think so. I hated the lot of them. Threatened them several times with death. But now," she smiled and shook her head, "They're still the bane of my existence, but I no longer hate them."

"And your ex? Where does he fit into all this?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "You're asking about my ex-husband while you're naked in bed with me?"

Draco nodded, "Tell me about him," he drew spirals over her hip with his fingertips, "After sharing a bed with you, I'm curious as to why he gave you up."

She lowered her eyes from his, "I told you why." Her voice was hushed, and Draco winced. _Had he pushed too far?_

Draco tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him, "Sorry," he said quietly, "I shouldn't have gone there."

"No, it's fine," she replied, "I said you could ask anything."

"Yes, you did," he smiled apologetically, "But some things may be off limits, and you don't have to tell me about him just because I asked."

Hermione sighed, "Honestly, I don't know why he left. Well, not all of it. I was completely up front with him, from the first day we met. He knew what had happened, knew what it meant if he stayed with me and he was constantly reassuring me that he wanted to be with me, that nothing was wrong and that this didn't matter. I took his word as the truth, and I thought that he was different, that I'd found the person I would spend the rest of my life with. And at the start it was perfect. But a few months after we were married, he started to change.

"He started working late, was constantly out with friends and when he _was_ at home, he barely spoke. And when I would ask him about it, he would just say he was exhausted, that work was crazy, and that once things settled down he would be all mine again. I put up with it for a while, but I finally exploded and the truth came out. And suddenly it _did_ matter. He wanted a child. A family of his own and apparently he had been looking for what he wanted elsewhere."

Draco pressed his lips to her forehead, "You know that his leaving had nothing to do with you." Hermione looked at him skeptically, and he smiled, sliding his fingers from her hip to her stomach, slowly tracing them along her scar, "What happened to you was not your fault. And anyone who cannot see that is an arse. He knew everything about you, he married you and then still blamed you. He's the despicable one, not you. And not all men are like him."

Hermione tried to hide her smile, but was unsuccessful. He was not what she was expecting. But then she'd had so lowered her expectations of men that she had all but given up on them. And he was right, not all men were Oliver; Pansy and Ginny had pointed that out to her often enough. And Draco was certainly different. He was attentive and caring, and after the previous night's activities, more concerned with her pleasure than his own. She hated to compare them, but Oliver was only concerned with getting her there once, and then taking the rest for himself. Draco had tipped her over the edge four times in that first round, no one had ever done that.

"Are you comparing yourself to him?" she teased.

He smirked at her, "Oh, I'm fairly certainly by the look on your face right now, I have nothing to be concerned about."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Maybe you shouldn't be so smug."

Draco's fingers that were drawing lightly over her stomach slipped lower, stopping at the tiny patch of neat curls just above her slit, "I'm never smug."

Hermione laughed, "Oh, you so are."

She hooked her leg over his hip, the sudden movement causing his fingers to slip lower. And he didn't hesitate to slide his fingers inside her. She was still warm and slippery from him having been so recently inside her, and he began to pump his fingers slowly. She sighed as his lips wrapped around her nipple, his tongue flicking across it, his teeth biting down gently. Her fingers ran over his scalp, slipping through his hair, holding him in place.

She felt him growing hard against her, and she reached down, circling him with her hand. She matched his lazy rhythm, stroking him slowly as his fingers gently pumped into her.

He rolled her over and kissed her neck. He reached between them and slid inside her, slowly filling her, stopping when their hips met. His pressed his entire weight against her, kissing along her throat, and whispering into her ear, "You make me smug."

Hermione smiled and asked herself again, _who was this man?_

He began to move slowly, every inch of him moving through her. She stretched beneath him, pulling him closer, not moving with him, just wanting to feel him, him and nothing else. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to this, the slow, sensual burn, the slip of skin against skin, the heavy weight of him over her, not possessive, not dominating, instead she felt comforted, protected, safe.

But what was sure about was that she did want to get used to it. He felt so familiar, so right. And if this didn't work out, well, she was screwed, because after only one night with him, he had completely ruined her for all other men.

"Fuck, you're perfect" he said close to her ear, and moved harder, jerking roughly. He raised himself up on his knees, gripping her hips and pounding into her, his eyes focused on where they came together, watching himself fuck into her.

Reaching down her fingers found her clit and began to rub it frantically.

"Oh, fuck." Draco swore and even in his own ears his voice sounded harsh. He'd never been so desperate to have a woman fall apart beneath him. "Touch yourself, just like that. Get there. Fucking get there."

Hermione closed her eyes, focusing on the delicious feeling that was escalating rapidly through her body. She was right on the edge. She took a deep breath and fell apart completely as she felt her orgasm hit. She came hard, clenching around him, the fingers of her free hand bunched in the sheets.

Draco's body seized and he cried out sharply, jerking his hips erratically as he came inside her. He sunk down against her, his hands gripping her hair, his mouth seeking hers, almost desperate, his hips still rocking against her.

Hermione clung to him, small tremors wracking her body as he continued to slide through her. He groaned against her neck as he came again and finally stilled inside her. Their eyes met, he exhaled a heavy breath and placed a kiss over her pounding heart.

She brushed her fingers though his hair, "Are you trying to kill me?"

He looked up at her and grinned, "Would you die happy?"

"Smug bastard," Hermione laughed and pulled him back down to her mouth.

* * *

Hermione arched her back, reaching her arms above her head lengthening her morning stretch. The morning light was filtering in through the curtains and she sighed; she'd not planned to spend the night here with him, but she couldn't have forced herself out of his bed if her life had depended on it. She reached her hand across and discovered that the bed was empty and the sheets were cool, Draco appearing to having risen some time ago. She glanced at the clock - 9am it read - three rounds of phenomenal sex and half a dozen orgasms really took it out of you.

She knew Draco had to pick up Scorpius from Ginny and Harry's; it was Sunday morning and he had to play football, and she wondered why he hadn't woken her.

And then she heard voices in the living room, Ginny and Draco. Him thanking her for having Scorpius for the night, thanking her for stopping by to pick up his football gear. Clearly Draco had called and asked Ginny to take him to play. She could almost hear the smirk in Ginny's voice as she told him that it was no problem. She obviously knew Hermione was still there and she groaned inwardly. Ginny and Pansy were going to love this.

"I think I left them in your room Dad!" Hermione heard Scorpius yell and the door to Draco's bedroom flung open.

It took only a split for Hermione's brain to realise that she was naked, and in Draco's bed, and his son had just walked in on her, before the mortification hit. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to look at him.

"Hermione?" Even without opening her eyes Hermione could hear the confusion in his voice.

 _Shit._

Realising she couldn't simply pretend to be asleep; she secured the sheet tightly around herself and sat up to look at him. She smiled way too brightly in an attempt to distract him from her flushed face, "Good morning Scorpius."

"Why are you in dad's bed?" he was frowning at her.

"Did you find them Scorp?" Draco said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, a smirk planted firmly on his face, "Sorry, Hermione. We didn't mean to wake you."

"Why is Hermione in your bed?" Scorpius still looked puzzled as to why she would be in his father's bed.

"Hermione had a sleep over," Draco explained, avoiding Hermione's gaze, for fear of laughing at the horrified expression she was attempting to hide.

"But you said she was going home after coffee."

"Well, we started talking, and it got really late, so she stayed."

"Where did you sleep?" the innocence in his question had Hermione biting her lip.

"In your bed," Draco told him, a small lie to avoid an awkward explanation, "I hope that's okay?" Scorpius nodded, "Did you find your boots?"

"Oh, no I forgot," he answered and headed for Draco's closet.

Hermione glared at Draco, "Are you kidding me?" Hermione hissed.

"Is there a problem?" he whispered, barely holding his laughter in check.

"Got 'em," Scorpius said triumphantly holding up his boots.

"Why were they in my closet anyway?" Draco asked and Scorpius shrugged, making a humming noise that sounded very much like _I don't know._

"Will you be here when I get back?" he asked Hermione, no longer seeming to be fazed by her in his father's bed.

"Um," she murmured, "Maybe."

"Brilliant," he exclaimed, "See you when I get back."

Draco glanced back over his shoulder as he followed his son out of the room, grinning at her. She flopped back down on the bed, groaning as she heard Scorpius inform Ginny that _Hermione had a sleep over in dad's bed._ She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, and then shook her head. Maybe this whole inability to have children wasn't as bad as she thought.

She heard the door close with a click and Draco burst out laughing. "This is funny?" Hermione asked, lifting her head from the pillow, still mortified.

Draco sniggered, crawling across the bed, "He's been interrupting us every chance he gets. He was bound to walk in on us at some stage. Just be grateful that you were in here alone. And sleeping. "

Hermione slapped his chest, "Still not funny."

Draco lay down beside her brushing her hair from her face, "Hey, you have nothing to worry about. He likes you, so I'm certain that he'll be happy about this."

Hermione took a deep breath, she truly loved Scorpius, he had wormed his way into her heart, but this wasn't the way she wanted to announce to him that she was sleeping with his father. Not that she'd be announcing _that_ to him.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, "We could have avoided all this. Told him when I actually had clothes on."

"You were out cold," Draco told her, "Exhausted one would think." She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless, "And come on, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad!?" she exclaimed, "Your son surprising me while I'm naked in your bed? Yeah, that's not bad at all."

Draco traced his finger along the sheet covering her chest, "I have a way to make you feel better."

She slapped his hand away, "No, you don't get rewarded for bad behaviour. You should have woken me."

Draco laughed, ghosting his fingers across her covered breasts, "If I tell you how sorry I am, can I get my reward?"

She sighed, staring at the ceiling, "I guess having a seven year old walking in unannounced is something I'll just have to get used to."

Draco's face split into a huge grin, "I like the sound of that. And I will explain to him that when you're here, he will need to knock before just barging his way in."

He slid his hand beneath the sheet, but Hermione rolled away, "I need to shower. You're all over me, and I'm not going to still be naked and in this bed when he gets back."

"It doesn't have to be in this bed," Draco wiggled his eyebrows at her, "I'm perfectly comfortable in the shower with you."

Hermione sat up, wincing slightly and ignoring Draco's hand running down her spine. She glanced back at him over her shoulder, _shit he was stunning_ , and asked that he bring her clothes to her.

"Already done," he nodded towards the bed end and her neatly folded clothes.

She leaned back and kissed him, "Why am I not surprised? Coffee?" He grinned at her, but she held her finger to his lips, "Don't say _already done_ , I can't deal with this kind of perfection first thing on a Sunday morning."

He laughed, "Go. Shower. And I'll just lay here not thinking about you all naked and wet in there."

She kissed him again, lingering slightly, before forcing herself up and across the room. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. _Freshly fucked_ was the term that filtered through her brain.

She stood under the shower, the heat of the water soothed her aching muscles - muscles that of late hadn't seen much of any kind of use that they had in the last few hours. She bit her lip, a smile rising. _Yes,_ she thought, _I could most definitely get used to this._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out...Christmas, family...you know the deal.  
_**

 ** _Thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing. Hopefully the next chapter wont take as long :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

Monday morning saw Scorpius bounding into the shop.

"Hermione!" he called and Pansy directed him to the back, where Hermione was busy unpacking a shipment of new release books – just in time for Christmas.

Hermione looked up, surprised to see him, but she smiled as he barrelled towards her, engulfing her in a hug, "Hey Scorpius," she laughed and almost toppled over with the sudden force of him slamming into her.

"Dad said we're having dinner with you tomorrow," he said excitedly, "At your house! And he said maybe we can have a sleep over."

She looked towards the front of the shop and her smiled widened. Draco was chatting with Pansy and Katie at the counter, clearly trying to avoid looking at her, allowing his son's excitement to be the lead. She watched him as he talked and laughed with Pansy and Katie, and she smiled at how easily he had become friends with them. With all of them.

And then she felt the familiar pang; the tug of nerves reminding her not to fall too quickly, that he'll be just like all the rest.

And then he glanced over, smiled at her and the unsure feeling instantly disappeared.

She was curious as to what he'd told Scorpius, they'd not really discussed their new found...whatever it was they had found...with him, they'd not had the chance. He had won his last football game of the year, and was far too excited to talk about anything else after he returned. But she was sure Draco would have told him more than Hermione had a sleep over. But obviously he had told him something since a sleepover was on the cards.

"Your Dad is right," she told him, hugging him back, "You are having dinner with me."

"And he said you live right here, right upstairs," his eyes were wide, hardly able to believe his luck at being invited to her flat above the book store.

Hermione tapped him on the nose, "I do live upstairs. I just hope I can cook a well as your Dad does."

Scorpius wrinkled his nose and looked thoughtfully at her, "No one can cook as good as him, but I'm sure it'll be okay."

"Well, I'll do my best," She shook her head, laughing at his honesty, "And do you know what?" he shook his head, his eyes wide, "I have a room all set up for you, just in case you do stay."

"Really?" he looked about to burst.

"Really," Hermione told him, "James sleeps there when he stays over, and I'm sure he won't mind."

"Awesome," he said, his face lighting up and his body shaking with excitement.

"He insisted on coming in this morning, he thinks I'm lying about dinner tomorrow night." Draco said as he approached and nodded towards Scorpius.

"Da-ad," Scorpius groaned, "I never said you were lying."

"You asked me at least ten times if I was telling the truth," Draco scoffed and Scorpius' cheeks flushed pink, and he mumbled _did not._

Draco laughed and then closed the distance between him and Hermione, leaning in to kiss her, not seeming to care that his son was standing right there, "Hi."

"Hi." Hermione replied and glanced at Scorpius. The smile she was greeted with when she looked at him let her know that Draco had told him something about the two of them and that Scorpius was happy about it.

"Hermione said that if we stay over, I could sleep in James' room," Scorpius informed Draco, who looked at Hermione questioningly.

"James has his own room upstairs," Hermione explained, "He claimed it when I renovated and it's been his ever since."

"He won't mind Scorp crashing there then?" Draco asked, and Hermione grinned at his assumption that the two of them would definitely be spending the night.

"I'm sure it will be fine." She said and then frowned, "Isn't it too early for him to go to school?"

Draco looked at her with an apologetic grimace, "Um, I was hoping maybe I could convince one of you to walk him to the bus stop in half an hour."

"Of course," Hermione told him, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he said, "He insisted on coming in, and I didn't want to be presumptuous-"

"It's fine Draco," she assured him, "The stop's three doors down, it won't take any time at all. Besides, we love having him here."

"Can I go help Pansy and Katie?" Scorpius asked.

"Maybe not this morning," Hermione told him, "You see how busy it is?" Scorpius turned to look at the counter and the line up of people, and nodded, "But you can definitely help me."

The prospect of helping her with the books wasn't nearly as exciting as helping make coffee, and Hermione sniggered as some of the excitement left his eyes and his shoulders slumped. But he nodded, and sighed, _Okay_.

"Hey," Draco admonished him, "Helping Hermione with the books is just as important as making coffee, young man."

Scorpius glanced up at Hermione, "Sorry."

"That's okay," she told him, "I know reading books is way more fun than packing them on shelves, but it has to be done. And maybe next time you come, you can help Pansy."

He gave her a small smile and he agreed that would be great and he'd be happy to help her today. But she saw in his eyes that he was still annoyed at not getting to help Pansy, and he was really just putting on a pleasant face to please Draco. He was only seven, she told herself, and helping her was boring compared to helping Pansy and Katie. She wouldn't let it bother her.

Draco, however, was clearly bothered by it and was looking at his son, an eyebrow raised, "I'm not sure he deserves to help Pansy. If I knew he was going to be so rude, I would have left him at home this morning."

Scorpius' face dropped and he looked down at his feet. His mumbled apology had Hermione's heart dropping and she wanted to tell him that everything was fine and she wasn't offended by his enthusiasm for wanting to help Pansy and not her. But she knew that would be overstepping. This was Draco being his father, and it wasn't her place to interfere.

"Sorry," Draco said and she waved it away. She sensed something was off today; it was very unlike Draco to admonish Scorpius over something so trivial.

He leaned over and kissed her again, "I'll call you tonight?"

Hermione nodded, "Please do."

"And thanks for this." He squeezed his son's shoulder, "Have a good day Scorp."

Scorpius simply nodded, barely acknowledging Draco as he left. Hermione frowned, this was the first hiccup she'd seen between the two. Oh, she was sure it happened regularly, but this was her first glimpse.

She went back to unpacking the boxes and Scorpius knelt beside her, "I'm sorry Hermione," he said quietly, "I didn't mean to be rude."

She hugged his shoulders, "That's okay," she reassured him, "But sometimes we have to do the boring jobs as well as the fun ones."

"Sorry about Dad," he murmured, "He's grouchy 'coz grandma called him last night."

Hermione was surprised, from what she could tell, Draco got along famously with Scorpius' grandparents. She frowned, remembering Draco telling her that his grandparents took him for a week after Christmas. _Did they want him earlier? Or even for Christmas?_ "Is everything okay?"

Scorpius shrugged, "They want to have Christmas with us early. They usually come in the middle of December, before they go on holidays, but Grandpa wants to go earlier this year and Dad is grouchy about it."

 _Oh_ , Hermione thought, _Draco's parents, not Scorpius' mothers._

She hesitated, she didn't want to pry information out of a seven year old, but asked him carefully, "Why is he grouchy about it?"

"Because they go to Spain every Christmas and never see us," He made a face, his brows knitting together and his eyes darkening, "And I think he gets sad."

"Wait," Hermione said, fully registering what Scorpius had just told her, "They never have Christmas with you?"

Scorpius shook his head, "Nope. Never."

She was curious as to why Draco's own parents preferred to not spend the holidays with their son and grandson, but chose not to ask him. That was a conversation for her and Draco.

"Well, maybe it's okay that he's grouchy this one time." She winked at him.

He nodded and smiled up at her, "My dad kissed you."

"He did," she said nodding her head, "Is that okay?"

Scorpius nodded eagerly, "It's good that he kissed you."

"And why is that?" Hermione asked with a small laugh.

"Because he never kisses anyone and he should kiss you."

She hugged him again, "Well, I'm glad to hear you that approve."

* * *

Draco had been on Hermione's mind for most of the day. Not the sexy, naked way he usually filled her thoughts, but instead in a concerned, what the hell is wrong with his parents way.

Her conversation with Scorpius that morning had her incensed towards his parents. She had tried to keep her temper in check, she hadn't even met them, and in fact she didn't even recall him mentioning them at all. And if what Scorpius had said was true, that they never spent Christmas with them, she could see why.

She would rather have this conversation face to face with him, but when he called her that night, as he said he would she decided to ask him about it.

"How was your day?" She asked when she hit the accept button on the screen, not even bothering with _Hello._

"Fine, and yours?"

She plunked herself down on the couch, folding her legs beneath her, "Oh, I got to spend the morning with a gorgeous blonde young man, so it was perfect."

"Oh really?" Draco laughed, "Well, I'm glad it was perfect, but I do hope his manners improved."

She went silent for a few beats, before telling him carefully, "He wasn't all that impolite."

"I know," he sighed, "I was just being...I don't know."

"He said your mother called." She told him, felling slightly intrusive.

And he stayed silent.

 _Ah_ , _crap_ she thought, she _definitely_ intruded. She should have said nothing. Just let it go. Overstepping boundaries this early on probably didn't bode well.

She heard him clear his throat. "She did." He said, his voice cool.

"He just seemed concerned that you might have been upset," she told him, "I hope everything's alright."

"Everything's fine," he said, "I just...my parents are..." he let out a frustrated growl, "They're not like most parents."

Hermione winced, "How so?"

"My father is, and always has been, more concerned about his work than his family. I don't remember a time when I was ever a priority in his life. And my mother..." he sighed. His mother loved him, and Scorpius, but she was distant, always had been, "I was raised by a nanny, and then shipped off to boarding school as soon as I was old enough."

Hermione was dumbfounded. She could not imagine what it must have been like for him. To not have a family that cared enough to spend time with you just made no sense to her. Her parents had been ripped away from her, but prior to that happening, they were a constant in her life. And now she had her friends, her surrogate family as it were, but Draco basically had Scorpius, and that was it.

"Draco, I'm sorry," she said, "I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry." She was kicking herself. This most definitely wasn't a phone conversation. She should have waited, had this conversation face to face.

"It's okay," he told her with a heavy sigh, "I'm used to it." But his voice was hollow, and she knew it was bothering him.

Draco confirmed exactly what Scorpius had told her, explaining that his parents leave for Spain two weeks before Christmas, and spend four weeks there. However this year they decided to extend their holiday, using the early arrival of winter – they hated the cold apparently – as an excuse. So they expected him and Scorpius to change any plans they may already have and host them for an extremely early Christmas in the last week of November.

"They don't do this on purpose," he continued, "They just don't think about anyone else, it's how they've always been. And Scorp and I are just expected to be at their beck and call whenever they feel the need to see us. It doesn't bother me, really. I mean I'm used to it after all these years. "

Hermione wanted to reach through the phone and soothe him. No matter what he said, she could hear in his voice that it did in fact bother him.

He was quiet for a few seconds, "Hermione?" She heard the nervousness in his voice, "They want to meet you."

"You told them about me?" Not that she cared, but honestly, this was newer than new and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

"No. They happened to meet Scorp's other grandparents, and they mistakenly mentioned that he had talked non-stop about you. And were curious as to whether my parents had met you or not."

"Oh," she said.

"You don't have to do this," he said and his voice turned bitter when he told her, "But they were insistent, suddenly concerned for the welfare of the grandson they haven't seen in months."

And there it was.

His anger and frustration, the short temper with his son that morning were caused by parents who cared so little throughout the year but were now suddenly showing 'concern' because of the new person in his life.

"It's fine Draco," she reassured him, although she wasn't truly sure it was. But the irritation and resentment she could hear in his voice, even though he was trying to hide it, made up her mind for her, "If that's what they want, and it makes life easier for you and Scorpius, I'll be there. It's just dinner, right?"

"Yeah, _just_ dinner," he let out a derisive laugh, "I hope you're prepared for an extensive interrogation. They don't cope well with change. Or strangers."

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, frowning at the prospect of meeting his parents so soon. She blew out a breath, "I'm sure that anything they throw at me won't be any worse than having to deal with Molly."

Her comment made him laugh, just as she hoped it would, and she told him _it will be perfectly fine Draco_ , but her small attempt at humour was hiding her own nervousness.

"Draco," she said quietly, "Are you okay?"

She heard the smile when he told her _yeah, I'm fine_.

"Thank you," he said, "For doing this. You really don't have to."

"It's alright," she told him again, "Will I see you in the morning?"

"You will," he assured her, thanking her again and bidding her goodnight.

Hermione stared at her phone, her heart aching. Despite her internal musings throughout the day, her imagined scenarios in regards to his parents, their complete lack of interest in his life had not even crossed her mind. She knew that like herself Draco was an only child and she wondered to herself just how it was even possible that they could not want to see him or their grandson.

Then she figured that it might be a good thing. If his parents were as selfish and as distant as he said, she wouldn't have to see them all too often.

And if they hated her – which, after hearing the hesitation and nervousness in Draco's voice, she was sure they would – well, distance would most definitely be a good thing.

* * *

"He's asleep?" Hermione asked quietly and Draco nodded.

Dinner had been a resounding success. Scorpius had been his usual delightful self and regaled Hermione with everything he'd been up to since he had seen her last. She had listened enthusiastically, laughing at his excitement, and since he was telling her every miniscule detail of the previous forty eight hours, she was feeling as though she hadn't seen him for a week, rather than the two days it actually had been.

 _This place is huge dad!_ Scorpius had exclaimed when she'd given them both a quick tour of her flat when they had arrived, explaining that she'd had the wall between her 'old' flat knocked through, and the existing flat next door had become two extra bedrooms, a bathroom and her much loved reading nook, adding to her two existing bedrooms, kitchen and living room.

She apologised to Scorpius that his room didn't have Iron Man as the main decor, but the mural of _The Starry Night_ she had had painted on the ceiling had him wide-eyed in awe (Draco as well, truth be told), Iron Man seemingly completely forgotten.

"Out for the count, snoring in fact," Draco said, "It's all very exciting staying at Hermione's, did you know that?"

"It's fairly mundane for me." She said with an air of nonchalance. She had used Draco's own argument against him – guests didn't do the dishes – and sent him off to put his son to bed while she cleaned up.

"Well for him it's not. And he would like to know if we could stay here every night. That room is amazing, by the way."

"Thank you, James loves it, as do I," Hermione smiled, "And is it your son that wants to know if he can stay here or you?"

"I would have no objection if you agreed to that arrangement." Draco said with a grin.

"He's okay with this, us, then?"

Draco nodded, "I talked with him and he seemed happy with it."

"Okay," Hermione said slowly, curious as to exactly what Draco had told him.

"I told him that Hermione might have more sleepovers, and we might have sleepovers at her house. And I told him that I didn't actually sleep in his bed on Saturday night." Draco scratched the back of his head and smiled, "I just explained that when grownups like each other the way you and I do, sometimes they sleep in the same bed. And he casually told me _I know that dad._ "

Hermione laughed, "He asked about you kissing me. After you left yesterday morning."

"And your response to that was?"

She smirked at him, "I asked if he was okay with that, and he told me it was perfectly fine since you never kiss anyone. Ever."

"Well, I had best rectify that." Draco stepped closer to her and cupped her face, and after what seemed to be the longest second that ever existed, he kissed her. Really kissed her. Not the chaste, everyone's watching kisses that they shared in the shop on Monday morning and then again that morning. This was heat and passion and tongues and hands in hair.

"Hey," he said, pulling back, slightly breathless.

"Hey yourself." she was grinning at him like an idiot. But then, he was doing the same. "So, no idle, after dinner chatter then? You put him to bed and we're straight into it?"

"I missed you." He said, surprising her by lifting her onto the countertop and stepping between her legs, his hands skimming lazily along her thighs.

"It's only been two days," she told him, but after two nights without him, she had already wished for him in to be in her bed permanently.

He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered, "Tell me you didn't miss me."

"Not in the slightest." She told him and he chuckled into her neck.

His hands slipped to her hips and squeezed, "In that case, maybe I'll stay in the spare room."

Her fingers threaded through his hair, "Hmm," she murmured thoughtfully, "I suppose you could, but I'd prefer to not have to only _think_ of you again tonight."

The image of her touching herself while thinking of him caused Draco to groan into her neck, "Don't say that."

She sniggered, "And you didn't think of me even once in the past two days?"

"No. Not once." He looked up at her and grinned, "It was way more than once."

He popped the top two buttons on her shirt, his mouth kissing its way along her neck and his hand snaking beneath the fabric to cup her over the lace of her bra – another new addition to her collection, blood red lace and satin that she was anticipating that he would certainly approve of - and she sighed.

Her fingers had barely moved from his hair, absently brushing back and forth across the base of his skull, her mind unable to concentrate on much else than his warm fingers and wanting the full weight of him wrapped around her.

She wound her legs around his hips, linking her ankles and pulling him closer. His fingers deftly opened the remaining buttons, her shirt falling open, and a groan falling from his mouth.

"Like what you see?" Hermione teased and he laughed at her repeated words from Saturday night.

"Will this be a common occurrence?" he asked, lightly brushing his fingertip along the lace.

"Do you want it to be?" she asked and he gave her a look that said _are you kidding?_ And she laughed, "Well then yes, there will be a whole new surprise every time."

His forehead dropped to her shoulder and he sighed loudly, "Luckiest fucking bastard alive."

She kissed his temple and lifted his head off her shoulder, tugging his t-shirt over his head and kissing him fiercely. Her hands skimmed across his back, her mouth sucking kisses into his shoulder and throat, pulling a series of breathless groans from him.

And then his hands were on the move. His fingers felt like magic, tugging the lace down, squeezing her gently, her nipples pebbling the instant his thumbs brushed over them. He leaned in and kissed the swell of her breast, his mouth dropping lower to suck her nipple into his mouth.

Hermione leaned back and exhaled a deep breath, carding her fingers through his hair. She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of his mouth and tongue. Her mind wandered and she found herself imagining Draco and Scorpius in her flat every day.

"No wait!" Hermione hissed, her eyes flying open, shoving at his chest and pushing him away, "We can't do this."

Draco looked puzzled, "Why not?"

Her eyes flickered to the hallway, "Scorpius." She whispered.

"What about him?"

"He'll hear us and then we'll have to explain...grown-up naked time to him."

Draco snorted a laugh, "Grown-up naked time? Is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

"Be serious," Hermione chided.

He ran a fingertip across her cheek, studying her face, "He's asleep."

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Hermione gave him a pointed look.

"It'll be fine. I didn't plan on doing this out here," he smiled at her, "This was just the warm up."

Hermione glanced down at her open shirt and exposed breasts, and then looked at his bare chest, "Oh, really?"

Draco bit his lip and smirked, "Maybe a tiny bit more than a warm up."

Hermione gave him a lopsided grin, "Sorry, but having a child in the next room...this is all new to me."

"And me," he said with a nod, "I've not had to worry about him walking in on me for quite some time."

She leaned in and kissed him, sliding off the bench and taking his hand in hers, "The bedroom?"

He grinned, "Lead the way."

She led him in the opposite direction from where Scorpius was sleeping and they had barely crossed the threshold of her bedroom when Draco grabbed her around the waist and kicked the bedroom door shut, pressing her against it and kissing her. Hermione yelped in surprise, his mouth swallowing the sound, her hands digging into his hair.

"Two days is way too long." He murmured against her lips and dropped to his knees.

"Draco, what are-" Hermione's question broke off when his lips moved across her stomach. Her head fell back against the wall with a dull thump as Draco freed the button on her jeans, pulling the zipper down and shoving them down her legs.

Goose bumps broke out as he trailed his hands over her thighs. "I've seen the top," he told her running his fingers along the delicate satin edge of her underwear, "I needed to see these."

"And do...you...approve..?" she was breathless, swallowing a moan when he pressed his lips over her lace covered core.

"Mmm," he hummed in approval, "Red is definitely your colour." He gripped the edges of her knickers and tugged them down, adding to the pile of clothes gathered at her ankles.

She kicked her feet free, and he gripped her leg, placing it over his shoulder, kissing along the inside of her thigh. Her hands flew to his hair, gripping tightly, "Oh shit, fuck, shit!" she said, breathing hard, anticipating just what he was about to do.

She groaned as he slowly licked along her clit, his breath, hot and heavy, washing over her skin, his tongue flicking lightly at her. Her hips moved of their own accord; gently rocking against his mouth, and she wondered how she'd gone two days without him. His mouth closed over the sensitive nub he'd been worrying with his tongue and began sucking rhythmically. She hummed, relaxing into him, delighting in the tiny bursts of pleasure running through her.

"You taste fucking amazing," he whispered, pulling back to look up at her. She was looking down at him, watching his every move, sucking on her bottom lip making him want to bite it for her. He stood quickly, and did just that; sucking, nibbling, biting at her mouth, simultaneously shoving her shirt down her arms. His mouth never left hers as he reached behind her and unhooked her bra, disentangling it from her arms.

He cupped her breasts, his thumbs flicking lightly back and forth over her nipples, while Hermione fumbled with his belt, finally managing to flip it open and tug his zipper down. She reached into his jeans stroking him over the soft cotton of his boxers, his mouth leaving hers with a hiss of breath when she gripped him harder.

Draco braced his hands on the wall either side of her head as she pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down in one swift move, her hand returning to him, tugging and stroking, her thumb sliding across his tip. His breathing shallowed, almost panting at the sensation of her hand, both her grip and pace increasing. He groaned and kicked his feet free of his jeans and pressed his chest flush against hers, his mouth picking up where it left off; moving over her skin, kissing, biting, sucking while his hand moved down her stomach, slipping lower and lower until he reached between her thighs, stroking her.

"Do you want to do this here?" He whispered against her ear, pressing her harder into the wall.

Her hand stopped moving over him, her breathing as shallow as his, "There's a perfectly good bed behind you."

Draco turned her around, walking her backwards and lowering her to the bed. But he didn't join her; instead he dropped to his knees and spread her thighs with his hands.

Hermione's breath caught when his mouth fell on her, his tongue sliding through her. She squirmed against him, covering her mouth with her hand and biting at her palm, fighting against the need to be loud.

 _Scorpius,_ she thought, _Don't wake Scorpius._ It had been mortifying enough that he had found her sleeping in his father's bed, she didn't need him to walk in on this.

"What is it?" he murmured against the inside of her thigh.

"Scorpius," she said, her breathing heavy and laboured.

"He won't hear us," Draco promised, "He's all the way across the flat." His thumb replaced his tongue, circling slowly around her clit.

A small whine left her, her hand groping at the sheets when his fingers slipped inside her and his mouth dropped back to her clit.

"Draco," she said through gritted teeth.

"Yes?" he asked teasingly, his fingers thrusting firmly in-and-out of her.

"I can't...can't be... _oh_!" She swallowed another moan when his fingers curled inside her and a jolt of pleasure shot through her.

"Can't be what?" he asked and she could feel the smirk against her skin.

"Can't be fucking quiet!" she growled, "Not with you doing that."

"Doing...what?" he asked her between licks.

"Draco!" she exclaimed, gripping his hair and pulling him away from her.

He sniggered and kissed his way up her torso, "He's asleep, he won't hear you." he told her again, kissing her, letting her taste herself from his mouth. Her tongue slid across his and the moan she'd been holding in tumbled into his mouth.

Draco slid his hands beneath her, easily shifting her further up the bed before settling over her, pressing his himself into her core, "Maybe I should stop," he teased, "I'd hate to not hear those beautiful sounds."

"Don't...you...fucking...dare." Hermione gasped as he dragged himself slowly through her wet folds.

His mouth moved to hers, kissing her roughly, his fingers tangling in her hair, "Do you want me inside you?" he asked and she murmured quietly against his lips, a nonsensical sound that made him smile. He pressed the head of his cock against her entrance, "Is this where you want me?"

"Yes," she whimpered, running her heels along his legs, her hips lifting, willing him to push into her, "Draco, please, yes."

He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers and finally pushed inside her. Hermione's breath caught and a loud moan escaped her. She gripped his hips, feeling his muscles stretch and flex as he moved in and out of her.

"Draco," she whispered, her eyes rolling closed.

"Hermione," he murmured, "I can't get enough of you." He reached back and pulled her leg along his ribs, opening her wider, and pushing in deeper, his hips driving forward and pulling moans from her as her hit that perfect spot.

He arched his back, groaning quietly as he slid in and out of her, rolling his hips at an achingly slow pace.

Hermione winced, he was so hard, so long, that she could feel him press deep into her, hitting a tender spot she never knew existed.

"You okay?" He asked and she nodded.

"You're so deep," she murmured and his jaw dropped when she clenched around him.

His open mouth moved across her chest and he lowered his head to suck on her nipple ** _,_** "Look at me."

She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his forehead shining with sweat. She watched him move, his muscles bunching with each thrust, his hand shifting over her breast, his breathing becoming ragged. She slid her hands across his chest, his abs, tracing the line from his hip to where he was buried deep inside her. Her fingers touching him, feeling him move in and out of her.

His movements became hard and sharp, a desperate cry of _Fuck! Hermione_ burst from him and he lowered himself to her, his slick skin sliding over her, his thrusts jagged and rough, his mouth never leaving hers. Hermione clutched at his back, her fingernails dragging across his skin drawing a harsh hiss of breath against her mouth. He didn't let up, railing against her, harder and harder until they both cried out harshly, toppling over the edge together.

The room became silent save for their heavy panting breaths. Hermione clung to him, her body shaking with tiny tremors as her orgasm faded. Draco circled her head with his arms, brushing her damp hair from her forehead, He kissed her neck and shoulder, lifting his head and covering her mouth with his.

"Holy shit," Hermione said and laughed.

"Holy shit indeed," Draco agreed, rolling off her and closing his eyes.

Hermione reached down, pulling the covers over them and pressing herself into his side.

"I hope he didn't hear us." Draco said with a laugh.

Hermione snorted against his chest, "You'll have some explaining to do if he did."

"Hmm," he hummed and she felt him relax into the mattress, "I like your bed."

Hermione smiled, "I like it too."

She wanted to say _I like it even more now_ _that you're in it_ but swallowed the words. That sounded too close, too comfortable. As opposed to what they had just done. But as always, the tiny niggle of doubt remained in the pocket of her brain that liked to remind her to keep her guard up, to not let anyone in.

Draco mumbled her name and pulled her closer as sleep took him.

She pushed her doubts aside, at least for now, and allowed herself to be pulled into sleep with him.

* * *

"So," Pansy began grinning smugly at Hermione, "I can't help but notice that's the third time this week the Malfoy boys have come down those stairs rather than through the front door. Would you mind explaining what's going on?"

She was right. It was Friday morning and Draco and Scorpius had just left after another night at Hermione's flat. Scorpius had asked if they could stay another night when they'd woken up on Wednesday morning, and another night turned into three.

Hermione pursed her lips, and tipped her head to the side, looking thoughtfully at her friends, "You're right," she said, "I guess you'll find out soon enough...I'm selling the shop, Draco is buying my flat and I'm running off to join the circus."

Pansy shot her a death stare, "You can't even be serious just once?"

"You're the one who asked the stupid question! What the hell do you think has been going on?" Hermione asked, "Or did you want to act like a twelve year old and make me say it?"

"Twelve year old sounds good to me," Ginny said grinning at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Fine," she grumbled, "The sex is amazing...actually no, it's more than amazing, it's fucking phenomenal. So phenomenal that I'd much prefer to be in bed with him than standing here telling you about him. His son is adorable, as you both know, and I have to meet his parents in two days." Her friends were staring at her, dumbfounded. And she smiled, "What?"

"That's a lot of information to process," Pansy said slowly.

"You have to meet his parents?" Ginny asked, "Already?"

Hermione nodded, "It's a long story. Apparently they're...um, different."

"In what way?" Pansy asked, "Do they have two heads or something."

Hermione shrugged, "Truthfully, I don't really know. They don't spend Christmas with him, instead they go on holidays, and they're leaving next week. So we're all meeting this weekend."

"They don't have Christmas with him?" Ginny sounded incensed. Coming from a large family, it would be unheard of not to spend Christmas together.

"I don't know what to tell you," Hermione said, "I don't have anything to tell you. Not until I meet them."

"Well, he's completely smitten with you. So I'm sure they will be too." Pansy reassured her and then shrugged, "And if they're not, you're having great sex, so who cares?"

* * *

 **A/N: Again, apologies for the delay.**

 **I had written this story almost in its entirety, but as with everything creative, it was bound to change along the way, and the tweaking process is holding things up...thanks again for reading** **J**


	9. Chapter 9

Calling it the dinner from hell may have been overly dramatic, but Hermione thought it pretty close.

The evening started off poorly and went downhill from there. She had been correct in her thinking. They had hated her. Instantly. She knew the second they laid eyes on her. Hate may have been too harsh, but it wasn't too far off. But then, the feelings were mutual. She had never in all her life met two more odious, abhorrent people.

"Are you ready for this?" Draco asked when the doorbell had chimed.

Hermione gave him an exasperated look, "For the thousandth time, yes. It will fine."

Draco took a deep breath, and nodded, "I hope so." He said before heading towards the front door.

Hermione frowned at his retreating back, sure that he was exaggerating. He'd become nervous and short tempered over the last two days, constantly asking if she was sure it was okay, that she could back out of dinner, that he'd simply explain that some type of emergency came up. But she had reassured him every time that all would be well and that he should stop worrying. She couldn't believe that his parents were as horrendous as he was making them out to be and wondered if the reason he was so nervous was because this the _first meet the parent_ s since Scorpius' mother.

"Don't worry," Scorpius whispered taking her hand, "I'll look after you."

Hermione smiled at him and squeezed his hand, "Thank you, but I'm sure they're not that bad."

But she couldn't have been further from the truth.

From the moment they walked into the living room she wondered how the two of them managed to produce the son they had. Her first thoughts were that maybe he was adopted, and they never told him. But she knew that wasn't possible; the resemblance of both parents appeared in Draco – his mother's high cheek bones and fine jaw line; his father's blonde hair and grey eyes – the exception being the deadness in his father's eyes and the sneer that seemed to be permanently etched on his face. A sneer which did nothing to assuage the nervous tension in Hermione's stomach. The man looked as though something rotten had perched on his top lip and he couldn't work out what it was.

His mother was beautifully put together, designer clothes and not a hair out of place, but she was aloof and gauging by the awkward hug that her grandson received, she was distant and somewhat cold, looking entirely uncomfortable (but trying not to) with the boy.

"Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger," Draco's voice was stilted, almost robotic and Hermione was taken aback at the formality of _mother and father_ _ **.**_ She felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the forced smiles she was given when Draco introduced them, "Hermione, these are my parents, Lucius and Narcissa."

"Mr and Mrs Malfoy, it's lovely to meet you both," Hermione said, determined not to let their sour demeanours affect her.

"Likewise, I'm sure," Narcissa said, while his father gave her a single nod and looked pained from having to smile - a fake smile at that.

"I trust you had a good trip down?" Hermione asked, biting back the snarky _but I can tell by your faces it wasn't_ remark that was on the tip of her tongue.

"It was fine," Lucius said and looked at Draco, "Charles will be back to pick us up at nine."

"Charles?" Hermione asked.

"Our driver." Draco's father said from behind another sneer.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, "You should have brought him up with you, surely he could have eaten with us?"

"He will get his own dinner." Narcissa said, turning her nose up at Hermione's comment (apparently you didn't eat with the 'help'). She narrowed her eyes at Scorpius' hand clutching onto Hermione's and then turned her attention to Draco, obviously done with the pleasantries and effectively dismissing Hermione, "You can imagine our surprise when Clara and Cuthbert mentioned you were seeing someone."

The chill that had run down Hermione's spine when they had first arrived seemed to have gotten colder. The remark was made to Draco, but was fairly well aimed at Hermione, as if it were somehow her fault that their son had not mentioned her to them.

A stab of unease clenched in her stomach, and her nostrils flared with a surge of annoyance at this women's accusation. She had cancelled plans with Pansy and Ginny to have dinner with them – not that she'd told Draco – she'd bent to their insistence that they meet her at the last minute, and now this woman had the nerve to accuse her of, _what?_ Of simply being someone new in her son's life without her knowledge? From what Hermione could tell, the pair barely saw either their son or grandson, had virtually no interest in their lives, so she had no idea why the hatred and anger were being aimed at her.

"Yes, well, we weren't actually seeing each other at the time," Draco said cautiously and his tone had Hermione frowning. He seemed to be placating his mother, rather than being honest. Yes, they weren't actually together at the time, but something certainly had started.

"Oh, I see," Narcissa said, "They certainly made it sound as though _you were_."

"My apologies if they misled you." Draco said.

Hermione bit her tongue; the formalities, the apologies, the tension radiating off him, this wasn't the Draco she had come to know. "I was very new in Draco and Scorpius' lives at that stage," Hermione nodded her agreement with Draco, "But Scorpius was very excited about my shop, so his grandparents just assumed that Draco and I were more than just friends. But I'm sure that with your busy lives you just haven't had the time to talk Draco to hear about me."

She saw Draco's shoulder's tense at her comment and Hermione knew she was pushing it, but she didn't care. She was not a violent person, but after only five minutes with these people she was ready to strangle them both.

"Let me get the wine." She stepped away from them and into the kitchen with Scorpius in tow, it seemed he would make good on his promise to look after her. She picked up the bottle of wine from the counter and read the label; _Chateau Rayas 2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape_.

 _Shit._

A six hundred dollar bottle of wine. His parents obviously had high expectations and at this stage she was sure she herself had not met them.

She uncorked the bottle, taking her time, not actually wanting to go back and join them.

"Hermione?" Scorpius said in a low voice, "Are you angry?"

She glanced up at him, and the look of concern on his face had her wondering just how angry she looked. She quickly smiled at him, "No honey. I'm not angry."

"Good," he said, "Don't worry about Grandma and Grandpa, they're always cross."

"I'll try not to," she said and poured out four glasses and juice for Scorpius as Draco entered the kitchen. She shot him a steely-eyed glare.

"Sorry," he whispered, "I didn't think they'd be this bad. This is low, even by their standards."

"This is worse than low." Hermione said through gritted teeth. She'd been holding her temper, holding in the snarky comebacks, but she wasn't sure how much longer that would be possible. She didn't care if they were his parents, these people were vile.

Draco nodded and reached over and squeezed her hand, "I'm sorry," he said again, "I truly am." He picked up two of the glasses, "It's one night, and then I promise you'll never have to see them again."

Hermione nodded, straightened her spine and followed him back into the living room.

* * *

"You cooked?" Narcissa asked when Draco pointed them in the direction of the perfectly set dining table. Hermione had noticed it when she had arrived, but had not mentioned it. Draco's flat was always immaculate and she could now see why. He was obviously raised in an environment where order was expected, where nothing should be out of place.

Draco's jaw clenched, "Yes mother, I cooked. You knew I was going to."

"Well, you didn't have to," she told him, "We could have just as easily eaten out."

 _Yeah_ , Hermione thought, _and made this all the more awkward with restaurant full of people as an audience._

 _"_ And as I've told you repeatedly, it's no trouble."

Hermione could see the anger just beneath the surface. He was holding it in, but looked about to explode. Why he hadn't was beyond her. Not only did they abandon him at Christmas, they were now essentially insulting his ability to cook. Hermione swallowed her own anger and disgust, _who the hell were these people?_

"You've outdone yourself again, Draco," Hermione said with a smile. If his parents were incapable of showing any gratitude, she most certainly would.

Draco smiled back, the first genuine smile to cross his face since Lucius and Narcissa had arrived, "Thank you."

"Hermione has her very own book shop," Scorpius said, smiling widely at her, "And Pansy works there and she lets me help her make coffee sometimes. And Hermione's house is above the shop so she gets to be there _all_ the time, it's so cool. And Dad and I stayed there last week and I slept in James' room and it has stars painted all over the roof."

Hermione couldn't help but smile at Scorpius' enthusiasm. She wasn't even embarrassed at Scorpius innocently telling them that she and Draco were sleeping together; she was past caring what these two insipid people thought of her.

"James?" Lucius asked, his surprise evident, "You have a child?"

Hermione smiled a sickly-sweet fake smile at him – two could play at this man's game, _"_ No, I don't have a child. _If_ I had a child, don't you think he would be here? James is my godson and Scorpius' friend. He has his own bedroom at my flat for when he stays."

She saw Draco's lips twist, hiding the smirk that dared to cross his face. Lucius looked none too pleased at having his obvious error pointed out.

Lucius cleared his throat, deflecting her remark, "You have your own business? A book shop?"

"Yes, I do," she said, giving him nothing. If he wanted to know about her, she would force him to talk to her. They had ignored her for most of the evening. If it had not been for Scorpius, she may as well not have been there.

"Successful?"

"Very."

"You studied business then?" he asked tersely, clearly not enjoying being forced to converse with her.

"No," Hermione told him, and smiled when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What _did_ you study?"

Hermione was enjoying this more than she probably should have been. He was becoming frustrated while attempting to remain polite. Education was clearly important to this man, his family not so much, but a piece of paper that said you had learned something; well apparently that was a big deal.

"If you mean did I go to university, then no. I didn't. I didn't study business, or marketing, or anything like that. I didn't study anything at all actually." Hermione told him. The years she could have been studying she'd spent in rehab learning to walk again but he didn't need to know that.

"Hermione previously worked at another book store. And from what she's told me she might as well have owned it since she oversaw the daily running of the business." Draco interjected and Hermione felt a rush of annoyance at him. She knew he was simply trying to damp down his father's interrogation of her, but it felt more like a justification of why she wasn't more highly educated.

"Yes, well, I guess on the job training is an essential part of learning." Lucius was about a half a step above openly criticising her lack of formal education, "I'm sure your parents are very proud."

Hermione shrugged, "I'm sure they would be."

" _Would_ be?" Narcissa asked.

Hermione turned to face her, "Yes, _would_ be. They both passed several years ago."

"Apologies for bringing them up." Narcissa glared her son, obviously vexed that she had no prior knowledge of Hermione before this evening and could have curbed her husband's perceived blunder in social etiquette.

"Oh, that's perfectly fine," Hermione assured her, "Just because they're dead, doesn't mean I don't, or can't, talk about them. And yes, they would have been beyond proud of me. I mean, starting up your own business is nerve wracking enough, but for it to be _so_ successful after just two and a half years, well, that's almost unheard of, right?"

Hermione couldn't help the smugness in her voice. She may not have been a millionaire, but she was happy and surrounded by her friends, and in her mind that's what was important. Her success was just an added bonus.

"And her shop is huge, Grandpa," Scorpius informed Lucius, "And her house is ten times as big as ours, right dad?"

"You're right Scorpius," Draco agreed, "Her house is much bigger than ours. And she's worked very hard to get it."

And there it was again, the justification, the reasoning, him selling her to them. Hermione exhaled slowly, it was difficult enough keeping her temper in check with his parents and she didn't want to add him to the mix. She knew he was simply trying to make thing easier, but it was starting to piss her off.

"And she has her own library _in_ her house," Scorpius added, "Not just the books downstairs. And she reads to me so much better than dad does. She does funny voices and everything."

His comment earned Draco a harsh glare from his mother. Draco had explained after the first dinner she'd had with them that Scorpius had never let anyone other than Draco read to him. Even on his weekend visits with his grandparents he refused them the task, so Hermione wasn't sure if Narcissa's anger was directed at her for Scorpius' complete ease with her, or at Draco and the fact that he _allowed_ her to read to him.

"Maybe I could read to you tonight," Narcissa suggested and Hermione instantly knew. The anger was definitely directed at her.

But Scorpius would have none of it, "You can't because Hermione already promised. But you can listen if you like. She's brilliant."

Hermione watched as Narcissa's jaw tightened, "Well, if she's already promised, maybe I can read to you next time."

Scorpius looked puzzled, obviously his grandmother had never once offered to read to him, "No, because it'll probably be ages before we see you again and Hermione will already have promised me. And she's the best." Scorpius' bluntness almost had Hermione laughing.

The sour look returned to Narcissa's face, but she didn't respond. Couldn't respond. Because Hermione knew that Narcissa was well aware that her grandson was right. Narcissa looked at Hermione, "So, you've spent quite some time with Draco and Scorpius then? My grandson seems to know an awful lot about you."

Hermione wanted to shake her head. Another deflection; these people didn't cope well with criticism and they certainly weren't prepared for Hermione to retaliate, to call them out on their own shortcomings. She assumed she was simply supposed to sit there quietly and take the belittlement they were dishing out. But they had no idea who they were dealing with. She'd been taught to speak her mind, and she would be no different with Draco's parents.

And she also didn't miss the emphasis on _my grandson_. She reached over and squeezed Scorpius' shoulder, "He's very inquisitive, this one. And yes, I have spent a significant amount of time with them."

"And you've no children of your own?"

"Like I already said, no, I don't." Hermione replied, rolling her eyes and wondering just how rude it would be to simply get up and leave.

"Of course," Narcissa said, "But I was just wondering how it is that at your age you have no children and you're single."

Hermione noticed Draco stiffen at his mother's comment, but she simply smiled, "My relationship status has only recently changed," she told her, "Until three years ago, I was in fact happily married. But it turns out he was an arsehole and I don't put up with that kind of crap. From anyone. And as for being _my age_ , your son here is only a year younger than me."

"Yes, but Draco's circumstances were very different," Lucius pointed out, a positively radiant smirk on his face, as if believing he had won some great prize in pointing out that Draco had been in a happy and committed relationship **, "** I'm certain that you're aware that had Astoria not become sick, she and Draco would still be together."

"Father-" Draco's voice had risen, but Hermione held her hand up, stopping him. She had decided that she'd had enough. She no longer cared what they thought since they had already made up their minds about her.

"And I'm well aware of that. What happened to Scorpius' mother was a terrible tragedy and I hate that it happened. No one deserves that. Draco certainly didn't deserve to lose her and Scorpius certainly should not have to grow up without his mother, no child should have to," She looked pointedly at Narcissa, whose idea of being a mother was to hire a nanny. Hermione's voice was calm but her heart was pounding, "But just so _you're_ aware, had my ex-husband not been such a philandering bastard, I would still be happily married and I wouldn't be sitting here, _enjoying_ dinner with you."she pushed her chair back and stood, her eyes never leaving Draco's fathers _, "_ So if you're finished interrogating me..." she said darkly and then smiled at Scorpius, "Hey Scorp, are you ready to read that book?"

"Yes!" Scorpius exclaimed and leaped off his own chair, "Can we finish it tonight?"

"We sure can," she said and shot a look of death at Draco and then reminded Scorpius _, don't forget to say goodnight_ , she wouldn't be held responsible for him not being polite.

Scorpius, not caring in the least about saying a proper good night, called his farewells over his shoulder as he headed for his bedroom with Hermione following so closely behind him that she missed the faces of his grandparents staring at her, completely stunned.

* * *

"Do you think it wise to allow her into his life like this?" the snake like voice of Draco's father drew a shiver down her spine. Scorpius had only lasted five pages before he was sound asleep and snoring, and judging by the conversation that was occurring, she assumed they thought she would be reading for a significant longer amount of time than she had been. She knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping, but if he was going to be so blatant and talk about her while she was still there, well, it was her right to know what he had to say.

"Scorpius adores her," Draco said, "And she adores him."

"Adores her!?" Lucius sounded skeptical, "How long have you know her? Not more than a few weeks, how could he possibly adore her?"

"It's been over two months, that's more than enough-"

Lucius didn't let him finish, "And what about you? What are your feelings towards her?"

"My feelings towards her are none of your concern. That's between Hermione and me." Draco replied.

Hermione blanched. While they'd not made things official, they were together more often they were not, and she found herself wondering why he was willing to express his sons' feelings to his father, but not his own?

"You certainly cannot be serious about her? Surely you don't think her more than just a plaything?" Lucius' voice reminded Hermione of a snake, low and hissing. "She is beneath you; a mere shop owner. Not worth anything near what you should consider appropriate. I mean, she's certainly not Astoria, she's not even in her league."

"Excuse me?" Draco's voice rose slightly, "You spend two hours with her and you think you know her? You know nothing."

"It's more than enough time to know her," Lucius growled, "And what about Scorpius? When this is all over, how will he feel? Have you even thought about him?"

"And since when did you even care about him?" Draco snapped, "You see him a handful of times a year, if you can be bothered, and you think you have a say in his life? In my life? And I certainly don't have to explain Hermione to you. It's not any of your concern."

"I'm your father; I certainly have a vested interest here." Lucius' voice made Hermione's skin crawl.

She decided she'd heard enough, and made her presence known "And what exactly would your vested interest be?" she remarked as she stepped into the living room.

Lucius cleared his throat, "Hermione, I didn't..." he trailed off, clearly embarrassed by being overheard.

"You didn't what? Didn't think that talking about me while I was in the next room would be offensive?" she asked, keeping her tone light, as if not affected by his comments at all. But she was seething. Who did this man think he was?

Lucius was staring at her, obviously not sure exactly how much she had heard, nor how exactly how to respond, "I mean the polite thing to do would be to at least wait until I left before you disapproved of me. But since I'm here, why not continue? Tell me what you really think Lucius?"

She watched his lip quiver, holding back a sneer, "I am merely concerned about the wellbeing of my grandson."

"Interesting," Hermione said nodding, "I thought that was his father's job. But then he obviously doesn't feel that he has to explain me to you, since whatever it is that we are isn't important enough to share." She glared at Draco. Both men inhaled sharply, realising that she had heard the majority of their conversation. Hermione shook her head and huffed out a wry laugh, "As for not being of the same calibre as Astoria, and I can only assume you mean in terms of money – your grandson has filled me in on the importance of that in your life – so let me tell you; you know nothing of me or of my family. Nothing. Might I suggest that while you're in town, ask about me. You might be surprised.

"Lucius, Narcissa, I'd say it's been a pleasure but we all know that's a lie. I hope that I next time you visit, I'm not invited." She turned to Draco, "I'll see you tomorrow, if you think I'm worthy of your time."

Draco stopped her from storming out, "No, stay, please. My parents were just leaving."

She saw the look of surprise on both their faces. Their son was choosing her over them.

"You're asking us to leave?" Narcissa asked, her eyes were darting between Draco and Hermione.

"No," Draco said, "I'm _telling_ you to leave."

"But Charles-" Narcissa began, and Hermione huffed out a laugh.

In the midst of everything this woman was still more concerned about herself, and the fact that their driver wasn't expected for another twenty minutes. She turned on her heel and headed for Draco's bedroom, she wanted to be as far away from them as she possibly could.

"I don't care if Charles isn't here! Stand out there until he arrives!" Draco shouted, "You both need to leave. Now."

* * *

Draco closed the door, his hand lingered on the hard wood curling into a fist. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He couldn't believe his parents had acted as they had. He was used to the stand over tactics they regularly employed, the intimidation, the insults, the put-downs, but this was a whole new low.

He had watched as they tried to tear Hermione down, and was disgusted in himself for letting it happen. She'd held her own, and he had to admit he was impressed with the fact that she had put them in their place, very few people had the ability to do so,but he should have stepped in sooner, told them to leave, to not come back unless they were ready to show her some respect **.** He inwardly berated himself, his behavior had been deplorable.

And Astoria. Why did they bring her up? They'd not spoken of her since she had died, and now they chose to? In fact he was sure that they truly hadn't cared for her at all, that they had been polite towards her only because his father merely saw her as a stepping stone to do business with her abundantly wealthy parents. He was sure his father had only brought her up to get a rise out of Hermione, but had failed miserably.

He ran his hand across his face and steadied his breathing, before turning and walking slowly down the hallway.

"Hermione?" Draco said quietly, but still managed to startle her. She was pacing in his bedroom, her jaw set, her face a picture of fury.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped, "I honestly thought you were lying about them."

"I'm sorry," he said stepping towards her.

"That's it?" she stopped pacing and glared at him, "Seriously? Sorry? That's it?"

"They're arseholes," he said, "I told you that."

"No, you said they were _different._ " Hermione reminded him, "Different means some kooky religion, or that your mother wears feathers in her hair, or that your father collects doorknobs **.** Different does not mean rude or obnoxious or hateful. And you just let it happen. You let them try to tear me apart. Draco, I don't even know who you were tonight," Hermione shook her head unbelievingly, "Is that how you are very time you're with them?"

Draco knew she was right. He was always on edge around them; he had been his entire life. He'd stopped trying to please his parents a long time ago, and his small act of rebellion in following his heart and becoming a teacher instead of following his father and becoming a heartless business mogul was like a breath of fresh air. He barely saw them as a he grew up, and now he saw less of them since they were none too pleased with Draco's career decision.

But the fact that he was now an adult didn't change a lifetime of anxiety when they were around.

"Hermione, I don't know what else to say. I've not ever seen them as bad as they were tonight. I am as disgusted with them as you are."

"And yet, you still said nothing," Hermione huffed out a breath, "I'm sure that I didn't hear everything that was said, but clearly your father thinks I'm not worthy of your time."

"Why do you care what he thinks? It's irrelevant."

"Is it?" Hermione asked, "Because if this," she indicated between the two of them, "Is something, I will have to deal with him. He's your father. I've met him one time Draco, one time and already I can't be in the same room with him without wanting to kill him!"

"Get in line. There's at least a thousand people who want the same." Draco told her.

"This is a joke?" she was pissed right now and he was making jokes?

"No, I'm completely serious. He hates everyone equally."

"Well, I'm sure I'll go to the top of the list when he - they - find out about me." She snapped.

"Find out about-" Draco paused, "That's not their business."

"Not their business?" Hermione huffed out a laugh, "If this thing between you and me goes somewhere, will they be expecting more grandchildren? Because if they are they'll be sorely disappointed."

"They barely see the one they have," Draco said, "So I'm sure they won't even notice."

"Really Draco?"

"Really. They could care less about it. In fact they'd probably be overjoyed; no more children to wipe dirty finger prints everywhere. You saw how uncomfortable my mother was with the grandson she has, she'd be grateful to not have anymore. " He took a deep breath, "Hermione, this is about me, who I decided to be with. Not them. They have no say in it."

She stood staring at him, her hands on her hips, "But it's more than that. You may have accepted me, and all my faults, but I really cannot see them ever doing so."

"So that's it then," Draco's heart dropped, "You're just going to give up on this? Give up on me? On Scorpius?"

"Don't bring Scorpius into this, this is between you and me." Hermione hissed at him.

"That's where you're wrong. Scorpius is in this. Him and me, we're a package deal. What happens with me affects him. And whomever I'm with has to accept that."

"And have I given you any indication that I haven't?" Hermione glared at him daring him to answer in the negative. She adored Scorpius and Draco knew it.

"Of course you haven't," Draco glared back at her, "But you spend two hours with my parents and you're questioning us?"

"They're your parents!" Hermione was exasperated.

Draco took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, "And they're not around anywhere near as much as you'd think. This was the last weekend they had before they leave, and it was very inconvenient for them as they had to give up a business dinner with some very important people for this, as I was told repeatedly. "

Hermione noticed the sneer on Draco's face, it was identical to the one she'd seen earlier on his father's face. But Draco's was aimed at his father, not her. There was clearly some deep seated resentment regarding his father.

"But they insisted-"

"Exactly," Draco said, "They expect me and Scorp to jump through hoops for them and then they turn everything around, make themselves look like the concerned parents, like they've put themselves out for our sakes. But like I said, they're just arseholes. Plain and simple. And they've not been any different my entire life"

"Draco, you and Scorpius," she huffed out a breath, "You both…" she choked on her words.

Draco gripped her shoulders, "Hermione, please don't let them get to you. They might be my parents but they're not as important to me as you would think."

She rubbed her forehead, fighting the tears that were building, "Draco, I just need some time. I just need to think about this. Please?"

"Hermione, I know you're angry but please don't-" He stopped suddenly and stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest, the anger he had managed to keep in check all night finally surfacing, "This is not about them at all, is it? This is about you. You and the walls you put up to keep yourself from actually letting anyone in. To keep from letting anyone love you. You're too busy keeping those walls around your heart to realise that I'm not an arsehole. You're so sure that every man on the planet is exactly the same as your ex-husband, that you're not even willing to give me a chance. I know my parents treated you like shit, but I never have. Not once. If you don't want to be with me, that's fine, but don't use them as an excuse."

"Draco, I-"

But he cut her off, "How much time?"

She swallowed, "I don't know. I'll call you."

He pursed his lips, his jaw clenching hard. But he said nothing. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to tell him this wasn't over, she just needed to clear her head, but anything she said now would just be placating him. So she stepped away, grabbed her bag and left.


	10. Chapter 10

If Hermione thought that time away from Draco, if putting some distance between them would make things clearer she had been sorely mistaken. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep and even simple everyday functioning seemed too much of an effort. She had been almost robotic, operating purely on auto pilot. She'd moved between her flat and the shop, and that's as far as she had gone. The streets hadn't heard the pounding of her feet for almost a week, and the Chinese take-out delivery driver had become her new best friend.

She'd been more miserable, more despondent than she had been when Oliver left. She stared at the pages of her books, not reading one word; had sat staring into silent space for hours without realising it. Time seemed to stand still, yet speed by all at once.

Pansy and Ginny had been tip-toeing around her all week, barely conversing with her, but she knew that it had been entirely her fault. Aside from exploding at them the morning after the dinner from hell, she had spoken only in monosyllabic words, and had spent her days locked in her office staring at her phone waiting for him to call. But after two days, when the silence became too much, her phone landed somewhere behind the television in the living room, and had remained there since - apparently space meant space. And he was doing exactly as she had asked.

Draco's parents had stuck with her for the last week, swimming around in her head, never letting up. And she hated it. Hated that they had gotten under her skin, hated that she let them. They had brought out the worst in her and the fact the she had been almost as rude as they had been eating away at her. She had never been so ill-mannered in all her life. Sure, she spoke her mind, but to be so blatantly rude and impolite was just not her. And she was at a loss as to why she had acted as she had.

She missed her own parents, missed the consistency of their normal, everyday lives. She missed the fun, the laughter, the routine, and she even missed the arguments (because their arguments never lead to hatred and always ended with forgiveness). But mostly she missed the rationale with which her parents would have told her to not let all this get her down, that there was always a bright side, a reason for things to happen. But right then, without them, she simply could not see it.

Hermione had closed the shop and had headed upstairs without bothering to say goodnight to her friends. She had stood staring into her refrigerator for fifteen minutes before finally deciding that she wasn't hungry and then curled up in her reading nook and hadn't moved since.

She heard the lock on her door turn, pulling her from her from her thoughts. Her head snapped up and she leaped to her feet. _What the hell?_

"Hermione?" Harry called and she exhaled a breath of relief. And then she inhaled deeply, her anger instantaneous.

"Hermione? Are you here?" It was Ron's voice. That was unexpected.

She clenched her jaw; she knew what was coming. The last time they turned up unannounced was to call her out on her shit, and she assumed this time would be no different. She stepped out of the reading nook and into the hallway, coming face to face with her two friends, "That key was for emergencies only."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, "And this is an emergency."

Hermione glared at him, "I'm not sure what it is that you consider an emergency, but I am _not_ an emergency Harry."

"Well, I'm going to disagree with you there." He said.

"Oh really?" Hermione snapped, "Since you're so _amazingly_ smart and clearly I'm an idiot, please enlighten me as to what makes this an emergency?"

"The fact that you've been a total bitch this last week," Harry snapped back , "The fact that no one has seen or heard from Draco or Scorpius, or how about the fact that you refuse to talk to anyone and won't tell us a bloody thing about meeting his parents since that's when all this bullshit started."

Hermione thought back to the morning after the dinner disaster and winced. Harry was right; she _had_ been a complete bitch.

 _"Interesting," Pansy said with a grin, "No Malfoy boys this morning. Dinner with the parents was a disaster then?"_

 _Ginny sniggered beside her, and then swallowed the sound at the look of death on Hermione's face._

 _"I don't ask much of the two of you," Hermione said, her voice was low and slightly terrifying, "But I do expect that you come here and work. And if neither of you think that's possible, I'll find replacements for you both. I don't need a constant interrogation of my life every morning, not from people who call themselves my friends. I'll be in the office for most of the day, and I do not wish to be disturbed. Not by anyone." She turned on her heel and stormed into the office, slamming the door behind her._

 _Pansy and Ginny glanced at each other, "Fuck," Ginny said in a hushed voice, "I'm thinking dinner didn't go well."_

 _"That might be an understatement," Pansy said, "If he fucked her over-"_

 _"No," Ginny said cutting her off, "Let's not jump to conclusions. We'll ask him when he gets here."_

 _When 9am arrived, but Draco hadn't, they knew something had definitely gone wrong._

 _And it was three days before Hermione even spoke to them, and that was simply to tell them the she and Draco had had a disagreement, and she had left it at that._

She stood glaring at them, breathing audibly through her nose, torn between calling them every obscene name she knew- and possibly some that she would just make up - and bursting into tears because Harry was completely right. She settled for something in between, "You're fucking arseholes and I hate you both." she said biting the inside of her cheek trying to stop the tears that were welling up.

Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple, "I know," he said, "But you're stuck with us **.** "

Hermione sucked in a breath and Harry simply stood holding her while she finally released the tears and anger that she clearly been holding in.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Ron asked when she'd calmed herself.

"N-n-no," she stammered and Harry laughed.

"Well, you have no choice," he told her, "We're not leaving until you tell us."

She sighed, "Well I can't do this without something to drink."

Harry grinned and took her hand, leading her to her kitchen, "Tea?"

"You know me far too well, my friend," she laughed and sat on the barstool at the counter, watching Harry as he moved around her kitchen. She turned to Ron who had sat down beside her, "You drove all the way here just to kick my arse?"

"It's what friends do," He squeezed her shoulder, "Do you remember last time you hit rock bottom?"

"I remember. You came here and yelled at me." Hermione said, "I also hated you both then."

"But it all turned out for the best," Ron said before adding, "And this time will be no different."

"We've only known Draco for a short time," Harry said placing her tea in front of her, "But he seems to be a decent and genuine kind of guy. And we're fairly certain that his feelings for you go well beyond more than just simply wanting to, um...share your bed." He pulled out another barstool and sat down on the other side of the counter.

"Share my bed?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him, "Is that code for _have sex with me?"_

Harry's cheeks flushed pink; as good of friends as they were, they'd never openly talked about their sex lives, "It is," he said "Now talk."

"Well, the sex was-"

"No!" Both Ron and Harry cried in unison and she laughed.

"If the smile that's been permanently etched on your face is any indication, I really don't need to know how good he is in bed, it's not good for my ego." Harry said with a shudder, "Tell us about dinner."

Hermione huffed out a breath and closed her eyes. She thought back to the dinner, the appalling behaviour, the fight with Draco and shook her head. When she opened her eyes both Harry and Ron were watching her expectantly.

"It was awful," she began, "His parents were – are – loathsome. Take all the most dreadful things you could imagine and put them together, and you'll be close. But the worst thing is I acted exactly like them. My behaviour was...god, I don't even want to think about it, but unfortunately for the past week, it's the only thing I can think of."

She gave them the blow by blow story of the previous weekend's dinner disaster, filling them in on every detail; how they'd been indifferent to her when they had first arrived and she'd tried to be polite; how they interrogated her and stopped short of telling her she wasn't good enough for their son; and how her temper had surfaced and she behaved deplorably. "And then, after Draco told them to leave, he and I got into a huge fight and I left."

"And the fight was about...?" Harry asked.

"How they compared me to Scorpius' mother, how his father doesn't think me in Draco's league, how they don't think me fit to be in their grandson's life." she told them.

"It sounds like you were pretty hard on him when it wasn't really his fault. He never said any of this, only them?" Ron said and Hermione's silence was enough to let him know he was right, "Is it possible that you were hard on him because you hold him in rather high esteem and you're scared he'll leave you?"

"That's what Draco said." Hermione admitted and they both looked questioningly at her. "He said that he's not the arsehole I keep expecting him to be, that he's nothing like Oliver and that I'm too busy protecting myself to let anyone in."

"Sounds about right," Harry mused and then took both her hands in his, "So what you did was let his father get in your head and allowed yourself to believe that you're not good enough? You blamed Draco and you let his father win?"

Hermione's brow furrowed, "Win? How'd you figure that?"

"Draco and Scorpius are where?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised, challenging her.

Hermione looked perplexed, "What?"

"Draco and Scorpius," Ron said, "You haven't seen them for a week now, am I right?" Hermione nodded and he continued, "You said that his father told him you weren't worthy of him, that you weren't in his league and that he should just have some fun with you and then shove you aside. Well, it appears there's no need for him to do that, because you've saved him the trouble. You've done exactly what his father wanted. You walked away, possibly ending it and therefore his father wins."

Hermione was stunned. Ron was right. She thumped her head onto the counter and groaned. Ron rubbed his hand across her back, "I really thought you were smarter than this." He said and she could tell by the tone of his voice he was grinning.

"Shut up Ronald." She said, her voice muffled against the counter. She lifted her head to look at them and was met with two smirking faces, "I have some major grovelling to do, don't I?"

"Hermione, the way his parents treated you was unfair, and while I agree with you for speaking up and defending yourself, you shouldn't have blamed Draco for their behaviour. Draco doesn't deserve this. And he's right, he isn't Oliver." Harry told her.

"How much do you like this guy?' Ron asked.

Hermione looked between her two friends and sighed, "More than I truly want to admit to myself."

"Then grow a spine," Harry said and pushed her phone towards her, "Because yes, you have some major grovelling to do."

She stared down at her phone that had been fished out of its resting place behind the television and was now sporting a series of spider web-like cracks in the screen, "You want me to call him?"

"Um, that's what a phone is for," Ron pointed out, "You press the magic screen and someone says hello on the other end."

"I already told you to shut up, didn't I?"

Ron laughed, "Call him."

Hermione huffed out an exasperated a breath, "I will. I'm just not going to while you're both here."

"When?" Harry asked.

"Tomorrow," she told them and they both glared at her, "It's Saturday tomorrow," she explained, "That'll give me Sunday to wail and lament my stupidity when he tells me he never wants to speak to me again."

"That won't happen," Ron said. "He might yell at you, might tell you that you're wrong about him. I saw how he was with you at the pub that night, he won't give up on you so easily."

"And you need to call Ginny and Pansy and apologise to them too," Harry said and Hermione grimaced.

"Am I the worst friend in the world?"

"No, far from it," Harry said, "They're patient and they know that you talk only when you're ready, but maybe you should talk to them sooner rather than later."

"I hate you both, you know that right?"

Ron leaned over and kissed her cheek, "And we hate you right back."

* * *

"Hermione?"

Her head snapped up at the familiar voice. Scorpius. She hadn't seen him in almost a week and the distraught look on his face made her stomach drop.

"Scorpius? Is everything okay?" Hermione asked him quickly rounding the counter and crouching in front of him. Considering that it was almost closing time she was concerned as to what he was doing there. And he was on his own, which was even more troubling, "Are you okay? Is your dad okay?"

He winced and looked down at his feet. Hermione glanced at Pansy, who looked equally concerned, and she gently touched his shoulder, "Scorpius, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Um," he murmured his head still bowed.

"How about we go into my office? You can talk to me there." She looked at Pansy who nodded, indicating that she'd close up the shop. Hermione fished her phone from her pocket and slid it across the counter, mouthing _call Draco._

Scorpius nodded and followed her to the back of the shop. She closed the door and pulled a chair out for him and he sat down. He was still staring down at his feet when Hermione pulled her own chair out and sat in front of him. She didn't speak, allowing him the time to sort out what he needed to tell her. The timid, unsure boy sitting before her was a shock; he was usually full of energy and confidence.

"Is it okay if I still come here?" He finally asked his voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course it is," she told him, "Why would you think otherwise?"

He glanced up quickly at her, but in the slit second took, Hermione could see the misery in his eyes. Just like his father, she thought, those blue-grey eyes that showed every emotion, all the torment he was currently experiencing.

"You and my Dad...um, you..." he trailed off and she realised what the torment was.

"Hey," she said softly, "You're welcome here any time."

He nodded and finally looked up at her, "Are you sure? He said you were pretty angry at him."

"What happened between me and your dad, that's on us, not you okay?"Hermione smiled, "What did he tell you?"

Scorpius shrugged, "That Grandpa said some awful things and you guys had a fight. And that you didn't want to see us."

Hermione took his hand; sure that Draco hadn't been so blunt with his son, but to a seven year old, wanting some space simply meant not wanting to see him. "Well, your Grandpa did say some awful things and your dad and I, we did have a fight. But,' she huffed out a breath, "Scorpius, I told your dad that I needed some space. Do you know what that means?" Scorpius shook his head, "Well, it means that I was very angry at your Grandpa and then I got angry at your dad, and I needed to stay away from him for a while so I wouldn't get angrier at him. Does that make sense?"

Scorpius frowned, and then nodded, "I think so. When I get mad, my dad tells me to go to another room and calm down."

Hermione smiled, "Yes, kind of like that. So I thought if I didn't see your dad for a little while, I wouldn't be so angry."

"Are you still mad at him?"

Hermione pursed her lips. She wasn't, not anymore. She had thought that pushing them away would bring some clarity to her mind, but all she found was that she ached for him, for them both, but she had been too stubborn to admit it to herself.

"No," she told him, "No, I'm not mad anymore, and I've very much missed seeing you."

"Me too," He said and then looked glumly at her, "I'm sorry you had a fight. He likes you. You're the first person he's liked since my mum..." his face flushed and he tensed.

Hermione swallowed hard, this was the last thing she had expected. Draco had explained Scorpius' mother to her but not once had she heard Scorpius mention her.

"Sorry," He said.

"Why are you apologising?" Hermione asked, a slight frown on her face.

"Well, she was my mum and you're my dad's girlfriend, and maybe you don't want to talk about her." Scorpius seemed to fold even more into himself.

Hermione was taken aback at _girlfriend_. This was all still very new, and she'd never really thought of her and Draco that way, in fact she'd never really thought of them as anything with a label. But clearly Scorpius had. He had obviously thought more of the relationship than either she or Draco had, and she was sure that wasn't a good thing. She had not wanted him to get hurt if they hadn't worked out, and sitting before her was the exact thing that she had feared.

"Hey," Hermione said quietly, moving to sit beside Scorpius, "She was your mum, so you can talk about her any time you like. What was her name?"

He looked up at her, still not sure if he should tell her, "Astoria," he finally choked out.

"Astoria," she repeated, "It's a very pretty name. I bet she was."

"I don't really remember her," he sniffed, "I can only see her in pictures. I was only two when she died."

Hermione wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "It's pretty sucky, huh?"

He laughed a small laugh and nodded, "It is. Do you think that's it's okay that I can't remember her?"

"Oh, honey. Of course it is," She reassured him, "A two year old wouldn't remember much of anything. But do you know what?" He shook his head and she touched his chest over his heart, "She's right in here. She's a part of you. And she'd be so proud of you. And your dad. He's raised a polite and respectful young man and I'm sure she would hope for nothing more than that."

"Your mum and dad died too?" he asked, "Do you remember them?"

Hermione nodded, "I do. But I was nineteen when they died, so I was much older than you."

"What happened to them?"

"They were in a car crash," She said deciding to be honest with him, "Another person drove their car when they shouldn't have and crashed into them."

He leaned over and hugged her, "I'm sorry they died Hermione."

She kissed the top of his head, "Thank you, Scorpius, so am I."

He looked up at her and smiled, "We're almost the same, aren't we?"

"We almost are." she agreed, "And I'm sorry you had to be in the middle of this," she told him squeezing his shoulders tighter.

Scorpius nodded and then asked, "Why don't grandma and grandpa like you?"

"I'm not really sure," she shrugged, "But I think that your mum was so special, that every loved her so much-"

"But you're special too and I love you." Scorpius interrupted her and was close to tears again.

Hermione was sure that her heart stopped beating for a second. The exact thing that Draco's father had predicted had happened. Scorpius had begun to think much more of her that she had realised, and she and Draco had failed to notice it happening. She wanted to scream at herself, but even more so she wanted to scream at Lucius for being right. She hated that man. She rested her cheek on the top of his head, her voice was almost a whisper when she said, "And I love you too."

"But you don't love my dad?"

She took a deep breath, "Well, it's different to love someone when you're a grown up." Even to her own ears that sounded ridiculous and Scorpius must have thought so too.

"But why?"

Hermione lifted her head from his and looked at him, his face was fully of sincerity and she just couldn't lie to him, "You know something?" She hugged him tighter to her, "I really don't know."

* * *

"He's here?" Draco was breathless when he rushed into the shop. Pansy closed and locked the door behind him, flipping the open sign over so it read closed.

"He's here, he's fine," Pansy said. Draco took a step towards the back of the shop, but Pansy grabbed his arm stopping him.

"No," she said, "He wanted to talk to her, so let him."

"He's my son Pansy," Draco snapped, " _My_ son, and I need to know that he's alright."

"And he _is_ fine." Pansy snapped back, "I'm assuming he's upset that he hasn't seen her. Whatever this bullshit is between the two of has been obviously been torment for him. And he wanted to talk to her. Alone."

"Oh and you think it's been easy for me?" Draco was incredulous, "She asked for space, she didn't want to see us. Do you have any idea how hard it was to explain that to him? How hard it's been to tell him _no_ when he asks every morning if today is the day that he can see her? That maybe he'll see her tomorrow? This was all her. So don't put this bullshit on me."

Pansy sighed and squeezed his arm, "Sorry, you didn't deserve that," she said, "I know you didn't do anything wrong. You're right, this _was_ all her."

Draco looked surprised. He figured he'd be the bad guy amongst them all, assuming that Hermione had told them all about the dinner from hell with his parents, his father's rant and denigration of her, their fight and that they'd all hate him. It was why he had avoided them all, not just Hermione. But it appeared he was completely wrong.

"You spoke to her then?" Draco asked.

Pansy shook her head, "No, Harry and Ron did," Draco looked surprised so Pansy explained, "The three of them have been friends forever, Ginny and I might be her girls, but no one gets between Hermione and her boys. Draco, she's fiercely protective of her friends. Since her parents died we're all she has, so she holds onto us all for fear that she'll lose us too. I think she felt that when your parents attacked her. She thought that you would side with them and she'd be left alone all over again." Draco opened his mouth to protest, but Pansy held up her hand, "I know you're here to stay," she smiled at him, "We all do. And I'm certainly not condoning her behavior towards you or your parents, but none of us have dealt with the shit she's had to. Except for you."

"That was different," Draco said, "Astoria dying didn't happen _to_ me. But what happened to Hermione, that's..."he shook his head, "I can see why she keeps you all so close."

"Please don't blame yourself for this Draco, she's stubborn and pigheaded, and while she is overly protective of us, she's also fiercely independent, to the point of frustration for the rest of us. When she and Oliver split she'd figured she'd be alone, that no one would want to be with her. And then you came along and her hopes were lifted. And that's not putting any pressure on you, but you need to talk to her. Make her see that you're serious. And if you're not, that's fine, but the two of you at least need to be friends for Scorpius' sake."

* * *

Draco was sitting on the edge of one of the sofas, elbows on his knees, his fingers twitching nervously together. He told Pansy to go, not to wait, that he'd tell Hermione she'd left. He was staring towards the back of the shop, the office door was closed, but he could see Hermione and Scorpius talking inside and was desperate to know what they were talking about.

He had been miserable in the days following their fight, and not since Astoria's passing had he missed someone so deeply. And Scorpius had been heartbroken. Asking constantly when Hermione was coming back, and why were Grandma and Grandpa so mean to her. Draco had tried his hardest to make Scorpius feel as though nothing had happened, and that Hermione would be back to see them both in no time, that she just needed to take a break so she would feel better, but clearly he had failed. His son had run away, for fucks sake. What did that say about how he'd handled the situation?

And not only had they not spoken to Hermione, they'd not spoken to his parents either. He simply refused to answer any calls they'd made. His mother had called a dozen times a day since he'd kicked them out, but he could care less about anything she had to say. He was well aware that it would be pissing them off, that they would see it as a total lack of respect on his part, and they certainly would not acknowledge that they had done anything he just didn't care. His father was an arse, and his mother not much better, and they had proven it beyond any doubt.

He leaped up, after what had seemed like hours, when the office door finally opened.

Draco scooped his son into his arms, hugging him tightly, "Don't ever leave me again. Never, you got that?" He was rocking his son gently while Scorpius sobbed against his shoulder telling him how sorry he was. Draco cupped the back of his head, "What if you were hurt, what if I couldn't find you?"

"I'm sorry Dad," Scorpius sobbed, "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to see Hermione. And you were angry at her. I'm sorry."

"You can see Hermione any time you want. You just had to ask me and I would have brought you here." Draco looked over Scorpius' shoulder, seeing Hermione struggling to hold back the tears at the sight before her.

She stepped forward, touching Draco's arm lightly, listening to Scorpius apologise over and over, "Hey," she said soothingly, shifting her hand to Scorpius' back and rubbing gently, "You did nothing wrong. We're sorry we made you feel like this."

"Can you stop being mad at her?" Scorpius' voice was muffled against Draco's shoulder.

Draco's eyes met hers and he was sure that the look of guilt on her face mirrored his, "I'm not mad at her," he said, his eyes never leaving hers, "Not anymore."

Scorpius lifted his head, his eyes puffy and his cheeks red from crying, his fingers fiddled absently with the collar of Draco's shirt, "You're not?"

"No, I'm not." Draco assured him.

"She said she wasn't mad you either," Scorpius said through a watery smile, he looked at Hermione for reassurance and she nodded.

"I did say that, and you're right, I'm not mad anymore," Hermione said. She was looking at Scorpius but she was speaking to Draco. Her smile spread and she asked if they'd like to stay for dinner. Scorpius nodded eagerly, insisting that they should.

"You weren't already cooking dinner?" She asked Draco, leading the back to the office and up the stairs.

"No," he said, "I was about to start when I realised he was gone." Scorpius squirmed in Draco's arms, insisting that he was fine and he could walk up the stairs, but Draco was reluctant to let him down, not wanting his son out of his sight.

He'd thought Scorpius was in his room, as was the norm since his and Hermione's fight. His son had been affected by her absence as much as he had, and had spent his time hidden away in his room, only coming out to ask about Hermione. But when Draco had discovered his room was empty and his son was missing, his brain went into complete shutdown, not even able to think where he could possibly be. The total sinking feeling of his child being gone hitting him like a freight train and panic set in. He'd raced across the hall to his neighbour, giving poor Mrs McGonagall a near heart attack when he told her Scorpius was missing, and asking if she'd seen him.

It had only been about twenty minutes - but even that short amount of time had seemed like forever, time having seemed to have stopped – he was about to call Harry's number when his phone rang and Hermione's name flashed up on the screen and relief washed over him at Pansy's voice.

He was now extremely reluctant to even let him walk up the stairs to Hermione's flat, but he put him down and took his hand, smiling at the eye roll that his son gave him.

"Why don't you go and wash your face while I order pizza?" Hermione suggested, still feeling guilty at the puffy red face smiling up at her.

"Pizza?" Scorpius exclaimed, "Really?"

"Really," Hermione said, and ushered him off towards the bathroom, Draco only a step behind him. She went to her own room and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, ordering pizza as she did so.

* * *

Scorpius, who was oblivious the awkwardness between the two adults in the room carried most of the conversation throughout dinner. He was just happy to be back at Hermione's and nattered on about school, and how he and James were going to play football on Sunday, even though they had finished playing in their team for the year, and how Mrs. McGonagall got a new kitten, whose fur was all stripy and was called Mr. Norris. Hermione and Draco didn't mind one bit, joining in the conversation with enthusiasm, knowing that they were the reason for him being upset. And conversing with him, meant not having to converse with each other.

When they'd finished eating, Hermione told him to choose a book from her library while she cleaned up, and she would read to him.

"Why do you have this book?" Scorpius asked returning from Hermione's reading nook holding an old, taped together book, "It's all broken."

Hermione sucked in a breath that didn't go unnoticed by Draco, who leapt up and took it carefully from him, "You might need to be careful with that Scorp. I think this one's very special."

Scorpius looked at Hermione who smiled, "It is, but we can read it," she stepped around the island bench and took the book from Draco, her fingers tingling as they brushed his, "This was the first book my dad ever bought me. I made him read it to me every night for almost a year."

Scorpius laughed, "But it's only _Green Eggs and Ham_! And look how old it is."

"Hey!" she exclaimed in mock indignation, hugging the book to her chest, "Watch what you're calling old." Scorpius laughed louder, and Hermione couldn't help but smile at him, "It _is_ old, but this is a very special book and there's a very special way you have to read it." Hermione told him, sitting on the couch and patting the empty place beside her, "Pull up a seat."

Scorpius eyed her skeptically, but curled up next to her, resting his head on her shoulder, "I don't know how you read it different from anyone else."

"Well, you're in for a treat, my young friend." She cleared her throat dramatically and made a flourish with her hands, opening the book and began to read. Scorpius' head lifted off her shoulder in surprise as Hermione's voice changed dramatically, voicing the characters so wonderfully, so entertainingly, and turning the simple, repetitive story into an almost dramatic reading that she had him entranced in seconds.

Draco sat beside Scorpius, who barely registered that he was there. His skinny arms were wrapped tightly around Hermione's arm, his eyes wide and following every word, every syllable that she spoke.

"Read it again!" Scorpius exclaimed when she closed the back cover.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked him, "There's a ton of other books we could read."

"No, this one again, please?"

She glanced at Draco, who was smiling at the pair of them, and she nodded, "Okay, but I hope you don't get bored."

Three readings and the first chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factor later, and Scorpius was asleep on Hermione's shoulder, his jaw slack and a light snore emanating from him.

"You can put him in his...James' room," Hermione said quietly - she'd already begun to think of James' room as his - and Draco nodded and leaned over carefully slipping Scorpius' shoes off while Hermione unzipped his hoodie and shifted slightly to allow Draco to lift him up. She helped to pull the sweater off him, folding it neatly and laying it on the back of the couch and then stiffened at the mumbled ' _love you h'mi-nee_ '

She placed a gentle hand on his back, avoiding Draco's gaze, "Love you too, Scorpius."

Draco stood staring at her for several seconds before he turned and carried Scorpius down the hallway, and Hermione heard a sleepy _are we staying here?_ And Draco's _it looks like it_ in response.

Hermione looked at her empty wine glass. She picked it up and walked to the sink, knowing that she'd need something stronger for the conversation that was sure to follow. She opened the cupboard and took out the half drunk bottle of vodka and poured some into a tumbler, taking a large mouthful and wincing.

"Hey," Draco startled her.

"Hey," she said with a small smile.

He stood across from her, the large island countertop separating them and crossed his arms over his chest. The silence was deafening, both simply staring at each other, neither knowing what to say. Hermione held the bottle up, a peace offering as such, and he leaned forward to pick up the tumbler she had filled and emptied it in one swallow. He shuddered as the liquid burned his throat.

Hermione couldn't help the snigger that escaped her; he was a whiskey drinker, vodka should have been a breeze. He pushed the glass towards her and nodded at the bottle; they were sharing a glass, which was fine by her. She refilled it, and swallowed half, handing the glass back to him, and he did the same.

"My parents are...difficult," he broke the silence, "My father being the worse of the two. I grew up in a constant state of tension. And sometimes it's just easier to let him have his say and think he's right. Even though most of the time he's not. I know that's not the most constructive solution, but believe me, it's easier. And my mother isn't much better. Her image is much more important to her than her son and grandson. And honestly, I'm not even sure why they're still married. It's all just for show, they've lived separate lives for so long now, their yearly holiday is pretty much the only time they spend together." He shook his head, "I didn't want Scorpius to grow up in that environment; it's why I live as far from them as possible."

Hermione's anger flared again, her ill will wholly aimed towards his parents and the idea that they could treat their son in such a manner. She had no idea what it would be like to grow up around a marriage that didn't fit. Her own parents were almost sickeningly in love, and still would be had fate not handed them a lethal blow. All she'd ever known was love and compassion and fairness. She'd always had a right to her own opinion, been allowed to disagree and argue. And tempers had often flared. But there had never been nastiness or hatred and certainly no grudges were ever held.

"Did he hurt you?" Hermione asked.

"No, he was never physical," Draco shrugged, "He was always distant. Never a hug just a pat on the shoulder, if I was lucky. I was away at boarding school for most of the year, and when I was home, he was never there, always away on business, always wanting to make more money."

Hermione refilled the glass, and handed it to him allowing him to take the first swig.

"Do they just expect you to be on your own forever?" Hermione asked, "Because that doesn't seem fair, even in their closed minds." She lifted the glass to her mouth and swallowed. A light buzz swirled around her head, but the bottle was almost empty, so she poured the remainder into the glass and handed it to him, "Finish it,"

He emptied the glass and shuddered slightly, "I honestly don't know." He told her, "And they never actually express any feelings, other than to tell me everything I do wrong and who _not_ to be with." He reached across the counter and took her hand, "And I'm sorry that my father did that to you."

She squeezed his fingers and rounded the counter to stand in front of him, "And I'm sorry my temper got out of control. I should never have spoken to them like I did."

"No, it's fine," He said, "I don't think anyone has ever spoken to Lucius like that. And he deserved it."

"But you didn't," she replied, "And I am sorry. I guess I just saw everything going pear shaped, and I panicked. But there's no excuse for my behavior, and I certainly shouldn't have acted like that in front of Scorpius."

Draco brushed his thumb across their still linked hands, "He didn't mention it. He just missed seeing you."

Hermione lowered her eyes, watching his thumb trace tiny circles across her skin, "I hate that I did that to him. To both of you."

"Can I ask what you and Scorpius talked about?"

She nodded and looked up at him, "He was upset about the fight and that he hadn't seen me. He thought that I didn't want to see him. But I told him it wasn't about him that it was all on us. And that he was welcome here anytime, regardless of what happened between you and me. He was also worried about his mother. That talking about her might upset me, you know, with me being your girlfriend and all."

"He said that?" Draco sounded as surprised as she had been.

"He did," Hermione sighed, "I guess he thought more of this than we did. But I told him that he could talk about her as much as he liked, that it wouldn't make me angry or upset. And he asked about my parents. How they had died."

Draco frowned, "What did you tell him?"

"The truth," she said, "Not all the details, just that it was a car crash. I hope that's okay."

Draco nodded, "It's fine. I try to be truthful with him as much as I can. Does he know that you were with them?

Hermione shook her head, "I wasn't sure how much you wanted me to tell him." She took a deep breath, "Draco, I don't want you to think that I see Scorpius as my chance at having a child. He's yours and Astoria's and I don't want _anyone_ to think that I might be trying to replace her."

His thumb stopped moving across her hand, "I've not once thought that. And no one else will either. She is his mother, and he will always know that, but I can't stop him from loving you."

Hermione smiled, "Yeah, that was a shock to me too."

He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chin to the top of her head, "Hermione," Draco sighed, "This thing we have, you and me and Scorp. It's about us, and no one else has any say in what happens. I'm not sure where you're at, but I want this. All of it."

"I want it too."

He cupped her chin and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her a slow, lazy kiss. He pulled back to look at her, and gently placed his hand on her stomach.

"All of it," he repeated, "You're not broken, or damaged. And anyone who thinks that doesn't deserve you."

She pressed up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm so sorry Draco."

"You don't have to be," he assured her, holding her tighter.

"Maybe not, but I'm sorry anyway. This is going somewhere, and at the first sign of trouble, I panicked and shut down. I'm so accustomed to protecting myself, that I didn't give you the chance to do the same."

"You won't have to see them ever again," he said, "I promise you that."

She looked up at him, "I don't want you to cut them out of your life for me. I'll be better prepared next time."

"That was only the third time I saw them this year, so you won't have to concern yourself with seeing them very often"

She frowned at him and shook her head in disbelief. She leaned up and kissed him, "I know it's early, but can we just go to bed?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk crossing his lips, "If that's what you want."

Hermione slapped his chest lightly, "No, not _that_. I don't want to have sex with you. It's just...I'm exhausted from missing you. And I just want to know that you'll be there when I wake up in the morning."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said and then grinned, "My son is here, so I'm kind of stuck."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and disentangled herself from him. She picked up the glass they'd been sharing and rinsed it and placed it on the sink. She took his hand and led him into her bedroom, where they stripped off and lay curled together, Draco's bare chest pressed against her bare back.

Hermione exhaled a long slow breath and pressed into him. The stress of a long, exhaustive week finally leaving her and sleep overwhelmed her.

Draco felt her relax, felt the slow rise and fall of her chest as her breathing evened. He gently kissed her shoulder, and smiled, his son wasn't the only one who had fallen in love with her.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione woke to the unfamiliar sounds of someone in her kitchen. Someone trying to be quiet but not quite succeeding. She heard the refrigerator door and the cupboards opening and closing and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Scorpius was awake and was making himself at home in her kitchen.

She moved to stretch but found she couldn't. Draco was clinging to her. His body was pressed flush against her side, his leg hitched over her hip, his arms wrapped tightly around her torso. His head lay on her chest, his blonde hair a shaggy mess, the warmth of his breath on her skin. They'd not had sex, just simply slept together - in the literal sense of the word - and from the position they were in it would appear that Draco had moved with her while they'd slept. And the way he was clinging to her, it seemed as though he was fearful she would get away.

Her pride had been kicked in the arse; Harry and Ron had been right. She had blamed Draco for his parents and she'd not afforded him any leeway, had not allowed him to prove he wasn't like all the others. She had instantly put her walls up and simply put him in the same company as Oliver without truly knowing him at all

She had been psyching herself up since her conversation with her two friends to talk to him, and if it had not been for Scorpius turning up unexpectedly, she wondered if she would have had the spine to actually call him. She had told Harry and Ron that she like him more than she wanted to admit, and she was still at odds with herself – should she let him in or not? She was terrified that if she did everything would go pear-shaped again, but she wanted to get to know him, his mere presence made her smile.

And when she finally saw him, the grief-stricken look on his face at not knowing where his son was had shattered those walls. She ached to hug him, to comfort him, to tell him she was sorry **,** and suddenly she remembered Pansy's advice - _just go with it -_ and it all made heart wanted him; it was her stupid brain that was struggling to catch up. Even still, she had been prepared for him to be pissed at her, pissed that Scorpius had run to her when she – in their minds – hadn't wanted to see them. And even though she deserved his anger, he hadn't been angry, not really. But then he hadn't really had the chance to be. Scorpius running away had been stressful enough and she was sure that if given the proper chance, if she had called him, or knocked on his door, harsher words would have been spoken.

But he hadn't raised his voice and yelled at her, hadn't taken his son and left. Instead, he'd stayed. He'd stayed and talked to her. Talked calmly and told her what he wanted, and what he wanted was her. However she wasn't naïve enough to not know that it wasn't as simple as that. Something had definitely shifted between them the previous night, but they still had a long way to go to make this work.

Hermione brushed her fingers through his mess of hair, tracing a line across his brow, his cheek, across his lips; his face twitching slightly as she did so. She suppressed a laugh and repeated the line she had traced, this time he batted her hand away in his sleep, murmuring something she didn't understand and shifting closer to her. She pressed her lips against his hair, closing her eyes and smiling at the feel of his erect cock pressed against her thigh. If it wasn't for the sounds of Scorpius searching through her kitchen, she would have woken him and taken full advantage of him.

She slowly rolled him off her, not wanting to wake him and smiled at the murmur of her name as he settled onto his back, his arm stretching above his head. She sat up and watched him sleep, and it occurred to her again just how stunning he was. His father's voice niggled in the back of her mind – _out of your league -_ but she shoved it away. That man had no business here and he never would.

She leaned down and kissed his chest, and then forced herself to get up. There was a seven year old in her kitchen, and while she was delighted that he was there, she was a little more than concerned as to what he was up to. She crossed quickly to her bathroom and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a hoodie - there would be no more naked roaming around in her flat - and pulled her sleep tousled hair quickly into a pony tail, glancing once more at Draco before she made her way out of her bedroom.

He was still, and peaceful, and the stress of his son disappearing having left him allowing his features to be calm and serene. And she once again said a quiet thank you to which ever god was smiling down on her and had sent this man to her.

She padded down the hallway and rounded the corner into her kitchen. With the amount of noise that Scorpius had been making she had expected there to be a mess, but she was pleasantly surprised. Scorpius was sitting quietly on the couch, a book in his lap and a glass of juice on the coffee table. And her kitchen was spotless.

"Good morning Scorpius," she said quietly so as not to startle him.

He looked up, his face breaking into a huge smile, "Good morning Hermione!" He leaped off the couch and engulfed her in a hug.

Hermione leaned down and kissed the top of his head, hugging him back, "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," he said, before adding proudly, "Dad said I couldn't come into your bedroom when we have sleepovers, unless it's an emergency, so I didn't and just stayed out here."

"Thank you for being so considerate," She brushed her hand through his scruffy hair, "Do you feel better today?"

"Much better," He nodded, "Is Dad still sleeping?"

"He is. I think you might have scared him almost to death."She told him.

"Sorry," he said looking suitable chastened.

"That's okay. It was good that you came here, but please promise me if you get mad at him again, you'll talk to him and not just run away?"

"I promise," Scorpius said, climbing onto a bar stool beside the counter **, "** Are _you_ sure you're not mad at him anymore, because he was really sad when you weren't there?"

"I'm not mad anymore," she pulled up a seat beside him and tilted her head, looking at him thoughtfully, wondering how she should phrase her question. "Scorpius, is it okay with you that I'm your dads girlfriend?" She asked, deciding on using the term he already had.

Scorpius shrugged one shoulder, "Yeah, its okay. Why?"

"Well, it's just that I haven't talked about this with you, and I wanted to check that you're okay with it."

He beamed at her, "I like that you're his girlfriend."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, "Very sure. He hasn't had a girlfriend in forever."

Hermione smiled at his comment, "Can you promise me something?" Scorpius nodded, "If you get mad at me, you'll tell me?"

"I promise. But I'm sure I won't ever get mad at you." Scorpius assured her.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Hermione said, "I can get pretty cranky sometimes."

"You probably don't get as cranky as Grandpa, so I'm sure it'll be fine," he said matter-of-factly, "Is Dad asleep in your bed?"

Hermione nodded, "Is that a problem?" she asked and then held her breath, wondering where this line of questioning was going.

"No," he said shaking his head but he had a concerned look on his face **,** "James says grown-ups sleep in the same bed but only when they're married."

"Oh," Hermione dug her teeth into her bottom lip stopping the smirk that threatened to escape, imagining the conversation that had taken place between the two boys, "Well, maybe James said that because Harry and Ginny are married, but sometimes grown-ups sleep in the same bed even if they're not married."

"Yeah, that's what dad said." Scorpius nodded and then added, "And James says that Ginny and Harry sometimes are naked in bed and they cuddle and yell."

Hermione pressed her fist to her mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter, "Um, I'm not-" she began but Scorpius continued.

"And you were naked in Dad's bed."

She felt her face heat up, "You're right. I _was_ naked in your dad's bed, but that was only because I forgot my pyjamas and didn't want to sleep in my clothes." _Lame,_ she told herself and said a silent prayer, pleading that Draco would walk into the kitchen and take over this conversation.

"But dad said he didn't sleep in my bed, he slept with you." He frowned looking puzzled, "Did he cuddle you to keep you warm?"

"Um...uh...He did," Hermione replied wondering how the hell they had gotten to this.

Scorpius' face turned serious, "You should leave some pyjamas at our house. That way you won't have to be naked and cold."

Hermione sighed with relief. His concern was simple, innocent, about her and not if she and Draco were 'cuddling'. She really wasn't equipped to deal with a seven year old on a Sunday morning, and she was certain that anything more than his concern for her welfare was a conversation to be had with his father not her. She leaned over and tapped him on the nose, "That's a great idea. I'll definitely bring some next time." She heard a laugh from the hallway and shot her best _what the hell?_ glare at Draco as he entered the kitchen.

"Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning and you were gone." Draco said with a look of amusement on his face **.**

Draco was sure she hadn't noticed, but he barely slept through the night. Instead he had spent most of the night watching her sleep, holding her so she couldn't get away. But when he had woken to an empty bed, his heart had leaped into his throat. He sat up in a panic, searching for her before he heard the murmur of voices down the hallway. He sighed in relief. He knew that she hadn't gone anywhere; this was her flat for Christ sake, but the last twelve hours had put him on edge, even more so than that last week had done.

He'd been pissed as hell at her for two days after the disaster that was dinner with his parents, only holding his anger in check for Scorpius' benefit. He knew he'd been unfair in not making her fully aware of just how horrendous his parents could be (and he had rather enjoyed how uncomfortable she had made them) but that didn't excuse the fact that Hermione had been almost equally as horrendous in her goading of them.

But then a hollow ache settled in his chest and the misery set in. He'd not missed anyone as much since Astoria. He barely knew Hermione, but in the weeks they'd been seeing each other he knew there was something more between them than just a fling. So much more. And then he had gotten pissed at himself for letting her walk out the door, for not stopping her and shagging her senseless and making her forget the unpleasant evening they'd had.

He had reached for his phone countless times, had wanted to call her and tell her to stop being an idiot and not give up on him. But he was terrified that if he did call her after she'd asked for space she'd push him further away. So he'd waited in the hope that she'd call or simply show up, but of course she hadn't. And when her name flashed up on his phone, the panic of his lost son, mingled with the elation and then disappointment of it being Pansy and not her, had been a confusing mess of emotions.

But they were here now, and he intended to do everything in his power to have her let them stay.

Hermione grinned, "Imagine _my_ surprise when I woke up and you _were_ there."

He leaned over a kissed her, and then looked at his son, "Good to see you're still here Scorp."

Scorpius' face flushed red, "I'm sorry that I scared you dad."

Draco frowned at him and Hermione braced herself for the lecture that was sure to come, but instead he wrapped his son in a headlock and scruffed his hair, "Just don't do it again."

Hermione smiled. The simple act of Draco being a dad, of simply adoring his son, pulled at her heart. He should have been as mad as hell at him for running away; should have been mad at her for the way she had treated him. But he didn't appear to mad at either of them – at least outwardly anyway.

"That's what Hermione said." Scorpius said squirming to get away from Draco.

"Is that right?" Draco said glancing up at her, "Well, she's correct. Running away never solves any problems." he gave her a pointed look.

 _Yeah_ , Hermione thought, their conversation from last night wasn't near to being over. She was sure there was no ill will, but clearly he hadn't said everything he needed to.

"What are you two chatting about?" He shot her a smug grin and she rolled her eyes knowing full well that he heard the end of their conversation.

"Well, Scorpius was just telling me how Ginny and Harry go to bed naked and yell loudly in their sleep." Hermione told him and Scorpius frowned.

"James said it, not me." He corrected her.

"You might have to speak to Ginny about that," Draco said, "She might be having nightmares."

Hermione smirked at him and walked over to the cupboard in search of something for breakfast, "Believe me, I will definitely be talking to her about it."

"Let me know what she tells you," Draco winked at her.

She nodded , "Oh, I will," she said and placed bowls and spoons out for them and asked Scorpius to grab the milk from the fridge.

Scorpius handed her the milk and frowned, "When I have a nightmare Dad hugs me. Maybe that's what Harry did to Ginny."

Draco made a choking sound, and Hermione dug her teeth into her bottom lip, "Um, that's probably it." Draco said sitting next to his son.

Hermione smiled at the picture of domesticity in front of her. The topic of conversation may have been unexpected – comical really and she couldn't wait to see the look on Ginny's face when she told her what James and Scorpius had been discussing, no matter how innocently - but the ease at with which the Malfoy boys had situated themselves into her kitchen, and into her life if she was honest, was a welcome surprise. And again she found herself picturing them both as a permanent feature in her home.

The conversation shifted to Christmas and how Scorpius and Draco were going to decorate their flat the next weekend and Hermione could help if she wanted to. Hermione told Scorpius she'd be delighted to help, but only if he helped her with her flat.

"And you could have Christmas with us!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly, "It's always just me and Dad."

"Oh, um," Hermione began and watched as both their faces changed. Draco managed to hide his disappointment at her pending answer, but only just, whereas Scorpius' shoulders slumped and his smile quickly turned into a dismayed pout.

She leaned forward on her elbows, "It's not that I don't want to spend Christmas with you, of course I do, but we have a tradition where we all have Christmas here. Ginny, Harry and James, and Pansy and Theo, and me. So maybe you could both join us instead."

Draco looked at Scorpius, "What do you think?"

Scorpius tapped is finger against hips pursed lips in a mock display of thought. The smile that kept twitching at his lips let Hermione know that he'd already made up his mind and was more than excited at the prospect of spending Christmas at her flat with the others.

"I guess that'd be okay." He said.

"You guess?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him, "You don't sound too sure. If you don't want too…."

"No!" he yelped, "I want to. I really do."

"Perfect," she said and winked at him.

She reached for her coffee mug, and Draco looked up at her, catching her smile. He circled her wrist with his hand, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers. They were good. Not great, there was more conversation to be had, but right in that moment, they were good.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Draco asked quietly when Scorpius had situated himself in front of the television; laying flat on his belly, his chin resting on his palms and his knees bent, causing his feet to swing gently in the air.

Hermione had been hovering around him all morning, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by Draco. He wasn't even sure if she was aware of what she was doing, but he had to tamp down the smile that her concern for his son had caused.

"I'm fine," she told him, sliding a mug of steaming coffee towards him, "Why?"

He stepped closer to her gently running his hand along her spine and she felt goose bumps spread across her skin. He nodded towards his son, "You've been no more than two steps away from him all morning. Maybe I'm not the only one he scared the crap out of."

"I don't know how you've been so calm about this," she said looking towards Scorpius, "I'm surprised that you slept with me and not right beside him."

Draco glanced at Scorpius, smiling at the sight of him, "Calm might not be the right word **.** I think he took ten years off my life."

"You're hiding it very well."

"Maybe, but I just figure that being mad at him for something that wasn't his fault isn't at all fair."

She turned her own coffee mug in circles on the counter, lowering her eyes, "Sorry," she said.

"Hey," he answered, smiling warmly, "That wasn't a shot at you." He reached his hand out to rub circles on the small of her back, "I still have to discuss this with him, but I don't want to be angry when I do."

Hermione took a deep breath and her shoulders slumped as she exhaled, "I know, but he came here, Draco. And the ten years he took off your life, you can double it for me."

He eyed her curiously, "Why's that?"

The split second of suffocating fear that something had happened to Draco had hit Hermione like wall. And Scorpius' reluctance to say anything when had had first arrived in the shop had her heart almost stopping.

Hermione shrugged her shoulder and crossed her arms over her midsection, giving him an embarrassed smile, "It was terrifying to see him there alone, and looking so lost. I straight away assumed that something had happened to you."

He grinned at her but his eyes were honest when he told her, "I glad he came here. He obviously feels safe with you." Her eyes dropped down, but he lifted her chin forcing her to look up at him, "And I would have felt the same way if the roles were reversed." And then he leaned over, and pressed his mouth against hers. A kiss that started out chaste turned slowly into something deeper; his hands slipped to her face, his mouth opened-

"Stop kissing!" Scorpius called from his position in front of the television.

Hermione dropped her head to Draco's shoulder and laughed, "Why?" Draco asked and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Because it's gross." Scorpius said over his shoulder.

"You said I should be kissing her." Draco pointed out.

"Du-uh, Not when I'm around."

"Well, get used to it," Draco told him and gave Hermione one more loud, smacking kiss and earning an _eeewww_ from his son.

Draco's phone rang disrupting their laughter. He picked it and frowned, pressing accept and holding it to his ear, "Harry, hi," he said, "Ah, crap! Sorry, we're at Hermione's...yeah, kind of. Scorp did a disappearing act-...No, he's fine...I'll check." He lowered the phone, "Scorp, did you still want to meet with James and Harry?"

Scorpius jumped up, his face crestfallen, "Oh no! We forgot."

"We'll be there in ten," Draco told Harry before laughing and pressing end. He looked at Hermione, "Ah, shit. Sorry. We promised the boys-"

"It's fine Draco," she said, "I have some groveling to do this morning anyway." He frowned, "Ginny and Pansy. I was kind of a bitch to them this past week. Actually I was kind of a bitch to anyone who crossed my path."

"Well then, I'm glad I was out of your way."

She laughed, "Go. Be boys."

He kissed her and Scorpius wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly, "We'll be back later, okay?"

She nodded, "And I'll be waiting. Now go get muddy."

He grinned at her and dragged Draco away.

* * *

Hermione smiled as she stepped inside the shop. Pansy and Ginny were working like the well oiled team they were. She felt the sudden guilt grip her stomach. Her friends hadn't deserved the roller coaster of emotions that had been her life this past week.

Harry had been right. They had been patient with her; had let her ride the full spectrum of emotion, allowing her to use them as figurative punching bags and not pulling her up on it. She'd put them through enough over the last few years, and they'd never missed a beat when it came to being there for her. And here she was again, piling her shit on them and they were taking her crap and looking after her shop in the process.

"So, the Malfoy boys are back?" Pansy noted as Hermione approached the front counter, "Does that mean the bitch is gone?"

"Sorry," Hermione said weakly, sure that both Pansy and Ginny would have been equally surprised by the boys coming down the stairs that morning as they were now at her cautiously approaching them.

Ginny looked at her with an expression that said there was no way she was getting out of this with just a simple _sorry._

"I know, I know," Hermione said, leaning her hip on the counter and looking guilty. "I was a complete bitch and neither of you deserved my crap. I am sorry though. Really, truly sorry."

They shared a looked and turned to her, "I'm not sure why you think you can't talk to us," Ginny said, "We've been through enough with you for you to know that."

Hermione shrugged, "I know. It's just that this felt different."

"Different how?" Pansy asked.

"When Draco and Scorpius stayed over last night, it all just felt familiar and right and I think that's what's been scaring the shit out of me. Having them both fit so easily into my life and the possibility of having to go through all the same shit again?" she shook her head, "I know it's stupid, but I like this guy, and the thought is always there that it won't end well. And when dinner went so horribly wrong, it was all I could see." She smiled wearily at them both, "And I should never have taken it out on you."

Ginny was smiling at her, "You like this guy?"

Hermione made a humming sound and nodded her head, "I do. I guess it was just hard to admit to myself, but yes, I like this guy."

"And Draco?" Ginny asked, "How does he feel?"

"The same, I think."

"You think?" Pansy asked.

"Actually," she started, and both her friends were looking at her, waiting. Hermione traced her finger along the pattern in the counter top, thinking about what Draco had said; _I want this. All of it._ "We didn't get the chance to really talk, but he did say he wanted this. Me."

"And you told him the same?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded, "I did."

"Fucking finally," Pansy said, "Draco should have just shagged your brains out a week ago, saved us the hassle of all your bullshit."

"There was no shagging," she informed them.

"Why not?" Ginny asked looking surprised.

"With Scorpius running away, and not really having the chance to talk about the dinner from hell, I just wanted to know that he was in my bed, and nothing more."

"Nawww," Ginny drawled, "Look at you, being all sappy."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at her, and with a sly smirk on her face said, "And, well, with Scorpius so concerned for your welfare..."

Ginny frowned and glanced at Pansy, who looked just as bewildered as her, "My welfare? What...?"

"James apparently was explaining to him that grow-ups sleep naked, especially you and Harry, and that you quite often sleep naked and cuddle and yell very loudly." Hermione was doing everything she could to not bust out laughing.

Pansy, on the other hand, was howling with laughter.

Ginny's face had turned the same flame-red colour as her hair, "W-wha-what?" she spluttered.

"Oh yeah, those boys have been having conversations regarding the goings on of the adults in their lives," Hermione replied.

"Funny," Pansy said gasping for air, "I never pictured you as being loud."

"Or having nightly shagfests," Hermione added setting Pansy off all over again.

"Hey!" Ginny cried, "They're not nightly."

Hermione's eyes went wide before she joined Pansy and dissolved into fits of laughter.

"Harry will be having a serious conversation with that child." Ginny grumped.

Pansy wiped the tears from her eyes and flung her arm around Ginny's shoulders, "Oh can you please secretly record that conversation?"

Ginny pointed at Hermione, "This was supposed to be about her, not me."

"Oh stop being such a prude," Hermione told her, "You're happy; I'll do my best to stay happy, and Pans?"

Pansy ginned, "Oh, I'm more than happy. Why do you think Theo's exhausted all the time?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione, "You're sure you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Hermione smiled and nodded, "Better than I've been in a long while."

* * *

Hermione's world suddenly went dark and she yelped in surprise. The familiar rumble of laughter had her slapping Draco's hands away from her eyes and glaring up at him.

"You should lock your door." He told her.

"Why? So creepy guys can't get in and scare the shit out of me?" She shot back.

Draco laughed, "I've been watching you read for several minutes, it might be safer for you, that's all."

She frowned, "Seriously?"

He nodded, "You were completely lost in that book. Is that normal for you?"

"Not in the last week." She answered honestly.

She'd returned upstairs after her apology and their subsequent teasing of Ginny, and had curled up on the small sofa in her reading nook. It was the first time in the last week that the words in her book made sense, and the fact that Draco had managed to sneak up behind her clearly meant she'd completely zoned out.

"Where's Scorpius?"

Draco sat down beside her pulling her legs across his lap, "With Harry and James. He decided that the prospect of James' PlayStation was far more exciting than coming back here."

"Wow, I've been kicked to the curb already," Hermione laughed.

"And we're having dinner there tonight. Hope that's okay." Draco leaned his head back on the sofa, and turned to smile at her.

"That's fine," Hermione smiled back at him and then asked, "How angry are you?"

"Not at all," he told her running his hand slowly along her leg, "Not anymore, anyway."

"Okay, well how angry were you?"

His smile changed into an amused grin, "You said you were a complete bitch this week?" Hermione nodded, "What's the male term for that?"

"Be serious." Hermione chided.

"I am," he said, "My students were terrified and my son ran away. So I think I win the angry game."

"I am sorry." Hermione told him.

"I know," he replied, "You said that last night."

"Not much got said last night, not really. I'm sure there's more that needs to be said?"

Draco sighed heavily, "I told you most of my story, and I know parts of yours. I understand why you flipped out, why you're hesitant to get involved with someone after what happened. But I think I deserved the chance to talk before you stormed out."

A small smile curled her lips, he was wrong, he _was_ still angry _._ And what _she_ deserved was for him to be angry at her.

She closed her book and placed it on the floor beside the sofa. She reached across and took his hand linking their fingers, "Talk to me," she said and his brows knitted together, "You're angry, even if you don't think you are. If we're going do this, you and me, we need to talk to each other."

He shot her a look that said _really?_

 _"_ I know, hypocritical right?" she said, "My temper got the better of me and I acted like a child and took off. But like you said, running away doesn't solve any problems and neither does not talking about them. So talk to me, tell me what you want and we'll work it out from there."

Draco's eyes dropped to their linked hands, "I like you. I really like you. I said last night that I want this and I meant it. I've only been with two women since Astoria, and neither of them made me feel like I feel when I'm with you. Or without you." He squeezed her hand, "It's been just me and Scorp for so long now that I have no clue how to do this."

"Do what?"

"Be with someone who doesn't need anything from me but me." He said and she looked perplexed, "I know that sounds insane, but Scorp needs me to be his dad, to take care of him and stress over everything he does. But you… it's just different, okay? You're successful, and independent, and you really don't need me for anything at all. And that's just not something I'm used to. And not to mention that I'm stuck with him. You, on the other hand, can leave whenever you please. And when you did leave, I was terrified that you'd never come back."

"I was always coming back." She said.

"Really?" Draco asked, "If Scorpius hadn't come into the shop, how much longer would I have had to wait?"

She pursed her lips knowing that he was right. She had asked herself that very same question. She sat up, shifting her position, curling her legs under her and pressing into his side, "Honestly? I'm not sure. And it was only my stupid pride keeping me away."

"What changed?"

"Harry and Ron," she smiled at him, "They know the exact moment to kick my arse and tell me to grow up."

Draco laughed, "So that's a pretty common occurrence then?"

"More than I'd like to admit." She said shaking her head, "Draco, I am sorry, and I'll keep saying that I'm sorry until I think you believe me." He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him, "You might already believe me, but this is who I am. I'm slow to trust, and I make mistakes, and sometimes I can be a colossal idiot."

Draco smirked, "Sometimes?'

She cocked her head to the side and twisted her mouth into a smile, "Actually, most of the time. Is that something you think you want to deal with?

"I think I already knew you were a colossal idiot." Draco said.

Hermione leaned back and shot him a quizzical look "How's that?"

He turned slightly to face her, his hand squeezing her thigh, "Did you know I started falling for you from the moment you banged your head under the counter?"

"Oh, _that_ colossal idiot," She shook her head at the memory and then arched an eyebrow at him, "So it wasn't my arse at all then? It was my elocution?"

" _Mother fucking shitting oww_?" He closed his eyes and sighed dramatically, "I've not ever heard such articulate language."

She laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder, "I'm sorry Draco."

His lips pressed against her hair, "I know you are."

Hermione slid her arm across his waist as an easy silence fell over them and several minutes passed before she looked up at him, only to find him smiling down at her.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey." He said, pulling her thigh to drape across his lap.

He leaned in, stopping just millimeters from her lips. He smiled for a moment and then closed the last remaining gap which had Hermione sucking in a breath as his mouth met hers in a slow, languid kiss. She sighed at the feel of him, at the ease of which they simply picked up where they left off, as if the last week had been no time at all.

He took his time, didn't rush, and just simply kissed her; his lips repeatedly brushing over hers, again and again until she pressed up against him, her lips parting, her tongue slipping against his bottom lip. Her hand slipped beneath the layers of clothes, skimming against his skin, her cool fingers causing his muscles to clench.

She pulled back and looked up at him, asking breathlessly, "What time are Harry and Ginny expecting us?'

He grinned back down at her, "Not for a couple of hours. What are you thinking?"

"You said red was my color?"

He frowned looking down at her simple grey hoodie and jeans, "Wha-?" he began and then realisation hit him like a ton of bricks, and his eyebrow lifted, "Oh. I did say that."

Hermione stood and held her hand out to him. He took it and pulled himself off the sofa, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, and pulled him towards her bedroom, "You said you started falling for me from the moment you heard my delightful cussing?" he nodded, "Well, for me...I didn't need to see you, it was the moment I heard your voice."

He stopped and pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply, tangling his fingers into her hair. Minutes passed before she broke away from him, murmuring that if he kept kissing her like that he wouldn't get to see his favourite colour on her. He sniggered and nodded and allowed her to drag him through the door, his breath catching in anticipation of just what exactly she had on under her clothes.

* * *

 **A/N: SORRY! A new job has flipped my life around, but thanks for reading, and thanks for all the requests to continue this story.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Scorp?"

"What?"

Draco smirked at the sharp response; Scorpius was most definitely his son. "Can you come here please?" He called from the kitchen and shook his head at the frustrated groan, and the following huff of breath.

They were winding down their day; Draco cooking dinner and Scorpius sitting at the window, staring out into the snow that had been falling since midday, eagerly awaiting Hermione's arrival. Much to Scorpius' disappointment they'd not stayed at Hermione's the previous night, parting ways at Harry and Ginny's, both she and Draco deciding that while they had talked and things were much clearer between the two, a little more breathing space might be a good idea.

But Hermione had reassured Scorpius that she would most definitely see him the very next day. Her promise of two days ago to help decorate their flat on the coming weekend had been moved up to that night and he was becoming frustrated that she'd not arrived yet, no matter how many times Draco explained to him that he needed to be patient because the book shop was open later than school.

Scorpius shuffled into the kitchen, a scowl on his face, "Yeah?"

"Pull up a seat," Draco told him, pointing towards the stool opposite the one he was sitting on, "And I'd appreciate it if you would drop the attitude."

Scorpius' cheeks went pink, and he lowered his head, pulling himself up onto the stool and finally looking up at Draco said, "Sorry."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Draco asked, not having to explain what he was asking about. With everything that had happened over the past two days, he'd not had the chance to talk to his son about his running away, and he was certain that Scorpius had thought he'd forgotten all about it.

While he tried to be open and honest with his son, allowing him the opportunity to have an opinion and to ask questions, giving him the life Draco had never been afforded, running away was not acceptable.

Scorpius huffed out a breath and leaned forward on his elbows, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Draco gave him a disbelieving look, "I find that incredibly hard to believe. You don't run away for no reason."

"I wanted to see Hermione," he explained.

"So you said," Draco said, "And I'm relieved that you went to her, but why did you think that it was okay to do that? Why didn't you ask me to take you?"

"You were angry at her, dad." he said and Draco didn't miss the implied _d-uh!_

"I was angry at her. But that didn't mean I wouldn't take you to see her. When have you ever not been able to ask me anything?" Draco questioned him.

"Never," he answered after a few beats.

"So why did you think I wouldn't bring you to see her?"

His brows knitted together, and Draco watched, could almost see his son's brain ticking over, working out an answer. But Draco didn't say anything, remained silent, waiting. Scorpius finally let out a frustrated ' _aargh_!' and thumped his head into his hands in an overly dramatic display that almost had Draco laughing. "I don't know dad." He exhaled a loud sigh, "I _don't know_ why."

"Were you angry at me?" Draco asked and the look that flashed across Scorpius' face told him, _yes_ , he had been angry at him, "Because if you were angry at me, that's fine. I would completely understand if you were."

Scorpius looked thrown. Draco knew he wasn't expecting that, "Yeah. I was mad at you. I didn't know why you were angry at her and I thought we'd never see her again." He frowned, "I thought it was grandpa's fault. Not yours."

Draco nodded, and there it was. Scorpius was confused as to why he and Hermione were arguing when he had put the blame squarely on his grandfather. He had only heard the heated discussion over dinner and had not heard the argument between Draco and Hermione since he'd been asleep. And since Draco had been so sullen, Scorpius had obviously been too scared, and probably too confused, to talk to him about it.

Draco took a deep breath, "Yeah, you're right. It was mostly grandpa's fault. But both Hermione and I were as much to blame. We shouldn't have gotten as angry as we did and we should have talked to each other instead."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because we let our tempers, and our frustrations, get the better of us." He said, "And being upset with someone and not talking to them about it is never a good thing, is it?"

Scorpius shook his head in agreement, "No. And I should have talked to you too. I'm sorry dad."

"I know you are, and I'm sorry too." Draco told him and took both is hands in his, "No matter how angry I am, you can always talk to me, yeah?"

"Yeah," Scorpius nodded, "Will Hermione stay with us forever now?"

Draco took a breath and explained, "I honestly don't know. I certainly hope she will, but we know that forever is never for certain."

"Like mum?"

Draco smiled, and nodded his head, "Yes, just like mum."

"But Hermione _is_ your girlfriend now, right?"

"I guess she is," Draco said, and then his eyes went wide and he teased, "At least I hope she is."

"Oh, she is. She said so." Scorpius assured him and Draco grinned.

"You like her, yeah?"

Scorpius shot him the same beaming smile he'd given Hermione, "I do dad, I really do."

"I'm glad, because I really like her too." Draco said and scruffed his hair, "Okay, so here's the deal, since there's nothing more important to me in the world than you, you don't get to runaway again. No matter how angry or upset you are and even if in the future Hermione and I get angry each other, okay?" Scorpius nodded and Draco continued, "And if Hermione and I ever decide that maybe we're not meant to be together, you can still see her anytime you want. You just have to ask."

Scorpius gave him a thoughtful look and then shook his head, "No, I'll see her all the time, because she's awesome and she _will_ be with us forever, I just know it."

Draco grinned at his son, "I hope you're right."

"But Hermione said she gets really cranky sometimes."

"Well, if she's going to be around forever, maybe we should stay out of her way when she does." Draco arched his eyebrows and grimaced, making Scorpius laugh,

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Scorpius' eyes lit up.

"She's here! She's here!" Scorpius exclaimed leaping down from his seat and ran down the hallway, skidding to a halt in his sock cover feet and wrenching the door open, "You're here!"

"Is this how I'm going to be greeted every time I come over?" Hermione was laughing.

Scorpius engulfed her, his arms wrapping around her waist hugging her tightly, "Are you staying? Did you bring your pyjamas?"

She held up the small overnight bag she was carrying and he let out a loud _woo- hoo_ and took the bag from her, telling her he'd _put it in Dad's room for her._ She followed Scorpius as he took off down the hallway, turning towards Draco's room to deposit her bag safely, ensuring that she'd be staying.

"Smells great," Hermione said entering the kitchen. She smiled at Draco and the total ease at which he moved around the space, enjoying the mingled aromas of Draco's cooking and the fresh scent of pine from the tree that was standing in the living room waiting to be decorated.

Draco bent towards her and brushed his lips over hers. "Hey there."

"Hey yourself," she said, kissing him back, taking a moment to just look at him before Scorpius came back. Their eyes locked and they both smiled, and she noted that it was the same smile that caught her attention on that first day; the smile that reached his eyes, the one that she had wished instantly that she could see every day.

"We missed having you here."

"I missed being here." She told him, kissing him again, "It's okay if I stay?"

"Ewww," Scorpius said scrunching his nose up at them, "Are you always going to be kissing?"

"As much as possible," Draco told him and Scorpius looked less than thrilled. "And yes, it's okay that you stay."

"I didn't want to be presumptuous."

"Presume away," Draco told Hermione and then kissed her again, earning another over exaggerated groan from his son.

"Maybe we should back of a bit when he's around," Hermione said and looked at Scorpius, "Sorry, we'll try to be better behaved."

Scorpius was watching them closely. He cleared his throat and shot them both a meaningful glance – a glance that Hermione knew was meant to be serious, but was so sweet that it almost had her noting out loud just how adorable he was. "I think that's a good idea." He told them in his best gruff voice.

Draco chuckled, "Please accept my most humble apologies, good sir."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, "Is dinner ready?"

"Almost," Draco told him and glanced at the timer on the oven, "About twenty minutes."

Scorpius' serious glare turned quickly into a grin, "Can we start on the tree?" He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, his excitement palpable.

"We sure can," Draco told him and he whooped with delight, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her towards the tree.

* * *

When the timer on the oven buzzed twenty minutes later, Scorpius pleaded with Draco to let them keep decorating, because _they had hardly even started_. Draco had relented and allowed them to eat at the coffee table, sitting on the floor surrounded by half unpacked boxes of decorations and tinsel and what Scorpius explained to Hermione was his collection of Santa's, his grandparents giving him a new one to add to it each year. And that at their old flat they always sat on the mantle above the fire, but since they didn't have a fireplace at their new flat, he planned to put them on the table in the hallway near the front door, and then everyone who came to visit would know it was Christmas.

When they were stuffed to almost bursting – Draco's vegetable lasagne had been a big hit, even with Scorpius - the decorating had continued, and much to both Draco and Hermione's amusement, Scorpius took charge, directing them both as to exactly where he wanted everything to go. Hermione reached for what she assumed was the last remaining decoration, a single box that had been set aside when they'd started, but Scorpius told her _No, I do that one._ She handed the box to him, intrigued as to what exactly was hidden away inside it. He placed it gently on the coffee table and carefully opened the box.

"This looks very special." She noted, smiling at the deliberate way he was going about opening the box, "What's in there?"

Scorpius took the large, pink and gold bauble from the box, and held it up to Hermione, looking up at her with a wide smile on his face, "It's this!"

"Oh, it's beautiful," she gushed with complete sincerity.

Scorpius nodded, "It is. This one's for mum. Dad says her favourite colour was pink, so we got this for her."

"Well, then it should be right at the top, right under the star." She told him.

"We never put it there." He told her frowning, "I always put it where I can see it."

Hermione clenched her jaw; _shit_ , she thought, and reminded herself that not everyone's Christmas traditions were the same as hers.

Draco squeezed her shoulder, and smiled, nodding his head slightly to let her know it was okay, "I think it's a great idea."

Scorpius was still frowning, "Why?"

Hermione crouched down beside him and gently cupped the decoration in her hand, "I have two of these at my house, one each for my mum and dad, and I put them at the top of my tree so they can watch over me. So if you put yours up nice and high, your mum can be right up there with the star and watch over you and keep you safe." She smiled at him and added, "But only if you want to."

Scorpius looked up at the star atop the tree, and his face broke out in a huge grin, "That _is_ a great idea! Thank you Hermione!"

She gave him a quick hug, and told him _you're welcome,_ before Draco picked him up, lifting him so he could place the decoration right where Hermione had suggested. Scorpius looped one arm around Draco's neck, steadying himself and reaching over to hang the bauble under the star.

"I think she'd love it Dad." Scorpius said nodding his head in approval.

"I think you're right," Draco said, giving him a tight hug.

"She can watch over you too, Hermione."

"Thank you Scorpius, I'd love for her to do that." Hermione said rubbing her hand over his back, "Thank you for letting me help."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile, and then squirmed out of Draco's arms, "Can I turn the lights on now?"

Draco nodded, and held his hand towards Hermione and she took it, smiling at him as he gently squeezed her fingers. He wanted to kiss her for her suggestion, to thank her for allowing Scorpius to see that his mother was important and not to be hidden or forgotten, but his son's aversion to their displays of affection, no matter how chaste, had him holding back not wanting to ruin the moment with another groan of disgust. So he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers instead.

The tree flickered to life and Scorpius yelped in delight, "This is the best tree we've ever had!"

"Really?" Draco said, tilting his head to the side giving the tree the once over, "Are you sure? You did say the tree we had last year was the best."

"Yep," Scorpius said with a single nod of his head making Hermione laugh, "This one is the best tree ever."

* * *

"Did you want Hermione to read to you?" Draco asked as he began clearing plates from the coffee table. He hated leaving mess, but had put it to the back of his mind, completely caught up in his son's excitement.

Scorpius shook his head, "No, it's your turn Dad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he answered, "Sorry Hermione, but we have to take turns, it's only fair."

"Of course," Hermione told him, "That seems perfectly logical."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her and ordered her, "Do not clean up."

"Well, that wouldn't be _fair_ now, would it?" she asked, him using his sons words against him, deliberately taking the plates from his hands and shooing them both away.

"Fine," Draco huffed and turned to follow his son.

"Besides," she called to his retreating back, "Am I still considered a _guest_ here?"

He looked back over his shoulder and grinned, winking at her as he disappeared into the hallway.

Seconds later Scorpius came racing back, "I didn't say good night Hermione."

She scooped him up, his legs dangling freely as she spun him around, "Good night Scorpius."

He laughed and kissed her cheek, "Good night Hermione." She placed him back on his feet and he scampered off.

Hermione breathed deeply, and smiled on the exhale, laughing to herself and thinking that James now had some competition when it came to her heart. Scorpius had certainly moved right in.

She found herself moving as easily around Draco's kitchen as he did; loading plates and cutlery into the dishwasher and putting everything away in its right place, listening all the while to the murmured voices filtering down the hallway. She set the coffee to brew, the percolator, she was sure was left over from Draco's university days; it was old, and sounded like a jumbo jet taking off.

She leaned back against the counter, her hands gripping the sides and she stared at the coffee pot as it sputtered and dripped. Her mind wandered to Draco, thinking how good it felt to be back in his flat, how good it felt to be here with him – with them. Regardless of the fact that Draco had not spent the night, she had woken that morning with a feeling of contentment, with a touch of blissful happiness thrown in for good measure. She slept the night through – the first time in a week without Draco in her bed that she had done so.

Hermione thought it fair to think that after everything that had happened over the last two days they were on the same page now. She knew she wanted to be with him, and denying it to herself would be pointless. And she also knew that she had never experienced any of the feelings, or the complete rampant desire she felt for him, with anyone before. Oliver would kiss her goodbye and leave for work, and she wouldn't give him another thought until he arrived back home in the evenings. Draco was in her head constantly.

She'd never been one to obsess over anyone or anything. But this was different, _he_ was different. Her mind was filled with him, everyday, even before their fight he would filter in and out of her head throughout the day. But no matter how much she thought about it, how much she tried to analyse what they had, what they might have, she always came back to the same thought; It wasn't just that he was gorgeous, and charming and patient, Draco was the first person to expect nothing from her, nothing more than what she expected or wanted for herself.

She sighed, relief washing over her. He wanted her, it was that simple. And she'd almost screwed herself over. Almost ended this before she truly gave them both the chance they deserved. The chance they both needed. She pushed away from the counter, her heart much lighter now that she had made her mind up, aware completely of how she felt about him.

Reaching out, she filled a mug with coffee and made her way to the couch, listening to the steady murmur of Draco's voice, and the occasional giggle from Scorpius, indicating it would be a while before he would be asleep. Picking up the book that was sitting on the coffee table, she curled herself onto the soft cushions, opened the first page and lost herself.

* * *

Draco gently cradled his sleeping son's head, bending down to kiss his forehead and whispering _good night._ As always, he marvelled at the fact the Scorpius was his. Most days it was like looking in mirror, but there were days when Astoria would come out in him; his son's kind and caring nature, his beaming smile, his infectious laugh, all were his mother. He stepped away quietly, pulling the door behind him, leaving it slightly ajar.

Draco paused. He stood watching her as she read quietly from the book he had left on the coffee table. She was curled on the couch, her back leaning against the armrest, her knees curled to her chest. Her head was tipped forward, her shoulders hunched and tense, and he was sure if he could see her face, her brow would be creased in concentration.

Scorpius had taken longer than usual to fall asleep. The excitement of the tree being up and decorated had stirred him up into a bundle of energy and bed time had stretched into well over an hour. He just hoped that Hermione wasn't pissed at it taking so long. He had told himself that it was a stupid concern, he knew she wouldn't care, but there was still an underlying niggle in the back of his mind that she _would_ care and be annoyed.

He stepped up behind her, his fingers touched her neck, and she barely even started, the feel of him becoming so familiar. She closed her eyes as he rubbed slowly along the tense muscles and she murmured a _hmm_ of satisfaction at the magic his fingers were performing. He remained silent, just the muted hum of the dishwasher and the heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the room, as he continued his ministrations, watched as her shoulders began to relax and a whisper of _feels good_ left her.

"What's got you so tense?" He asked quietly after a few minutes, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"Crappy week," she murmured and he smiled.

"And what are you thinking about now?"

She tilted her head back to look up at him and her mouth twitched when she said, "You."

His lips landed softly hers, gentle and sweet, "Interesting," he murmured against her mouth, "What exactly about me are you thinking?"

Hermione grinned, "Right now? I'm thinking I really don't want to be looking up your nose."

Draco laughed and kissed her again, "How fresh is that coffee?"

Hermione glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed, "About forty five minutes."

"Sorry," he said pouring himself a mug of coffee.

She frowned as he crossed back to the couch to sit beside her, "For what?" she asked.

"For taking so long with Scorp."

"Don't ever apologise for time spent with your son. He comes first. Always." She shook her head and touched his arm, "You weren't seriously concerned about that, were you?"

Draco shrugged, "Maybe a little." He reached over and linked his fingers with hers, "I know you're fine with it-"

She cut him off, "Then leave it at that. Be fine with it, and don't give it another thought. I was quite content out here on my own." She held up his book too him and smiled, "I'm easily entertained."

Draco's eyes went wide, "Oh really?"

"Really. It doesn't take much to entertain me at all." Hermione laughed at the somewhat amused expression on his face and pulled her hand from his, poking him in the arm, "And don't get any idea's mister."

He shifted, his sudden movement causing her to fall back to the soft cushions. He moved over her, his hands gripping the arm rest either side of her, "I have no idea what you're talking about. If all you need is a book, how could I possibly entertain you?"

Hermione wriggled beneath him so he was cradled between her legs, her hands curving around his neck and her fingers tracing along the base of his skull. She smiled sweetly up at him, "Well, maybe we could get a pole in here and you could dance for me. That would easily entertain me."

Draco's head dropped to her shoulder and his entire body shook with laughter. Hermione pressed her lips to his temple and he lifted his head and arched and eyebrow at her, "Just so you're aware, I won't ever be doing that."

"Oh come now," Hermione laughed, "You in a tiny pair of leather shorts? Mmmm, that would be delicious."

He lowered himself to her, pressing them together until there was no space between them. He pressed hot kisses along her jaw, flicking her ear lobe with his tongue, "Maybe you could dance with me?"

Her hot breath against the bare skin on his neck sent a shudder down his spine, her voice was low and sultry when she asked, "Would that entertain _you_?"

He ran his mouth over her thumping pulse, his hand slipping down over her shoulder, brushing along her ribs and reaching back to pull her thigh over his hip. His heart was pounding in his chest – _Christ on a cracker,_ what her voice did to him, his body instantly getting hard and tight. He swallowed before choking out an incoherent sound.

She had shifted beneath him, tilting her hips to his and pressing her nose against his throat, inhaling in his scent, "Hmm," she murmured, her tongue flicking out to taste him, "Delicious."

He tilted his head back, allowing her better access to his throat. Her hands tugged at the hem of his shirt while her mouth continued suckling upon his throat, her fingers pressing into the hard flesh of his lower back, grinding her hips hard against his.

"Fuck," he groaned, "I _will_ dance for you if you keep doing that."

Hermione sniggered, "I'll hold you to that."

He shifted his position, moving to lay beside her and she whined in protest at the lack of contact, "Shh," he whispered against her temple, "I'm about to entertain you."

He unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, his mouth dipping down to the hollow of her throat, his hand cupping her breast, rolling and squeezing the mound of flesh in his palm. Her own hands carded through his hair and a quiet, sexy sigh had his stomach clenching. He loosened the remaining buttons on her shirt, groaning in pleasure at the sight of her hardened nipples pressing against the white lace covering her.

"Seriously?" he whispered, staring down at her.

Her eyebrows knitted and she looked up at him, "Is there a problem?"

"God, no," he assured her, and traced a line along the lace, "But white? By far my favourite."

Hermione bit her lip, "I thought you said you liked red?"

"I never said I liked red, I simply said red looks good on you," Draco told her, "But white? It's positively virginal."

Hermione tongue trailed along her bottom lip, "Virginal huh?" she ran her fingertip along his jaw, "Is that what you like? Something tight and untouched?" She cupped his face, giving him a serious look and shaking her head, "Because if it is, I have to tell you, _that ship_ has long since sailed."

Draco's resolve broke and he burst out laughing, curling his arm across her waist. He planted a kiss on her cheek, "You're too much, you know that?"

"No," she replied with a tiny shrug, "I think I'm just enough."

He kissed her gently, "No, you're more than that." She smiled up at him, and he brushed his fingertips across her jaw, "Thank you."

"For?" she asked slightly perplexed.

"For everything tonight. With Scorp." His eyes flicked to the tree, "You made his mother a part of his Christmas. He may not have recognised it, but I certainly did."

"I told you I don't want to replace her," Hermione rolled to face him, bringing her knee up and hooking her leg over his hip. "She's important and should be in his life every day. And even more so at Christmas."

"And I know she'd love you for that," he said quietly, suddenly serious, and Hermione's heart stuttered. "She would love that you love her son, and that he loves you back." His hand cupped her jaw, his thumb stroked gently across her cheek, "And she would love that I have found someone who fits so easily into our lives, and someone who has let us fit so easily into hers." He leaned in and kissed her a slow, unhurried kiss.

Hermione's heart was racing and she was sure that he could feel it pounding against him as he pulled her closer. Surely he wouldn't? He wouldn't say it. Not yet. They'd not been seeing each other long enough. _Had they?_ She knew her feelings for him extended much further than _like._ They extended much further than just a phenomenal shag. But she wasn't sure that she quite ready to express how she felt out loud.

He nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply, her light fragrance filling his nose and his senses already recognising that the soft scent was all her. He let out a soft sigh, and pulled her closer, and her breath caught when his lips pressed against the soft skin on her throat. The heat of the last few minutes had dissolved into something much quieter, much more serious, turning into a slow trade of kisses and gentle touches.

He pulled back and she slowly opened her eyes to look at him. A small smile curved at his lips and he placed his hand over her heart, "You okay?"

Hermione nodded quickly, her heart slamming harder into her ribs. A flicker of concern crossed Draco's face, "Where are you right now?"

"Nowhere," she murmured, "Right here, I just-" She leaned in and captured his lips, kissing him deeply.

As they pulled away, her eyes met his and in that moment, his face told her everything she needed to know: he was it for her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to hide them.

"Hey," Draco whispered, "What's going on?"

Hermione swallowed hard, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she buried her face in his throat.

"Hermione?' Draco's voice was slightly panicked, "Talk to me."

Hermione trembled and her breath came out in gasps. Draco simply held her, rubbing his palm back and forth across her back, waiting for her to calm down. The silence stretched between them, and Draco wondered if he should say something, tell her how he felt about her. But he stopped himself, not sure exactly what was happening. He pressed tiny kisses to her neck, his hand still moving over her back with a soothing affection, waiting for her to sort out her thoughts.

After several long minutes, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes to look at him. She traced a finger across his brow, her eyes finally locking onto his, "I love you," she blurted out, "I have been falling in love with you from the minute I first saw you, and it scares me how fast this is moving. And it's okay if you don't feel the same way, we can just forget that I said it. I mean, we were barely speaking last- "

Draco pressed his finger to her lips stopping her rambling. He was astonished. He had been prepared to lay his own feelings on the line, to tell her how he felt but had held back; two and a half months wasn't a long time and he had thought he would scare her off, but he knew that he loved her, and his heart soared at the fact that she was now admitting the same to him.

He let his hands still on the small of her back, pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "I have a confession to make: I love you too."

"You're not scared?"

"A little," he said, smiling at her and gripping her hip tighter, "It's been a long time since I've felt like I do, but I know what I feel and I've already told you that I want to be with you. I think that being scared is only natural, for both of us."

She exhaled, her breath shaking.

"Hey," Draco said, staring into her dark eyes, "It's okay to be scared. And I promise to do my best to not do anything stupid and fuck this up."

Hermione's lips twitched into a smile, "I best promise the same then."

"Now that's out of the way, where were we?" His hand travelled down her waist, his fingers deftly opening the button on her jeans and sliding the zipper down. He glanced down and grinned, "Positively virginal."

Hermione snorted a laugh, "Positively not."

Draco laughed as his fingers travelled over the outline of the white lace, and then dipped lower, tracing across her centre and slipping his fingers over her soaked flesh.

Hermione bit her lip, acutely aware that Scorpius was sleeping just down the hall, but she didn't want to stop this by insisting that they move to the bedroom. Clearly Draco read her mind.

"Can you be quiet while I do this?" he hummed against her breast, her shirt having been opened completely and the cup of her bra shoved aside. He stroked his fingertip across her clit, and she clenched her jaw, and nodded.

"Are you sure?" he teased, his fingers speeding up, pressing harder.

"Yes," she hissed, her hand grappling at the button of his own jeans, growling in frustration when her hand fumbled and slipped.

Draco shifted his hips, giving her more room, and she managed to free him from the confines of his jeans. Her hand surrounded him, sliding over his warm flesh, feeling him grow harder with every stroke. She gasped and her hand stuttered when Draco's fingers dipped lower and circled her entrance. He trailed a hot path of kisses across her jaw, along her neck, dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base of her throat. He slipped two fingers inside her, and she hummed a small moan of delight, increasing her grip on him when drew his fingers slowly in and back out of her.

Draco gritted his teeth at the sudden vice-like grip on his cock. He hadn't realised he'd stopped moving his fingers until Hermione giggled and said _sorry._

Her grip relaxed and he let out a breath, "Are you _sure_ you've done this before? Because if you want to continue this, you need to treat him with a little more respect."

Hermione gave him a decidedly innocent glance and stroked him gently, "Aw, poor baby, did I hurt you? Did you need me to kiss him better?" Draco choked out a strangled cough of surprise, and Hermione sniggered, "I've done this before."

"Clearly," Draco said, resuming his ministrations between her thighs. He wrapped his mouth around her nipple again, his tongue mimicking his rhythmically thrusting hand. His fingers moved in and out of her with increasing with speed, pulling small, quiet gasps from her and she was writhing beneath him.

"Draco." She whispered, "I need you, please."

It was quick and quite, still half clothed; Hermione's jeans hanging off one leg, Draco's shoved to his knees.

"I love you," he said as he pushed forward, entering her. They both groaned as he settled his weight down onto her, leaning down on his forearms, wanting to watch her face as he began to move. His eyes never left hers as he slid through her heat, her tight walls welcoming him without resistance.

He felt the pressure rising in him, higher and higher, the familiar pull behind his navel. Her inner muscles began to spasm around him, pulling him deeper, until it was too much. She clamped down hard arching beneath him, her jaw clenching shut, resisting the urge to cry out as his body tensed. Unable to stop himself, he let out a low feral growl as he emptied himself inside her. He collapsed onto her, both breathing hard. Her hands slid into his sweat soaked hair, laying in the aftermath, silent and calm, a tangled mess of limbs.

"Hey," Hermione said softly.

Draco lifted his head and saw her smile. The smile that he had been missing this past week, "Hey," replied, pulling out of her and rolling them both to their sides. He ran his thumb across her lips, "I missed you."

"I'm back now."

Draco reached behind him, pulling the throw rug from the back of the couch and covering them, "I'm glad" he said kissing her, "I've missed everything about you."

"I mostly missed that," she grinned at him.

He snorted a laugh, "Well, I guess my work here is done." He moved to stand, but she pulled him back down, laughing. He grinned at her, "I love having you back."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Don't be." He told her, "But please don't leave me again."

She kissed him, "I won't."


	13. Chapter 13

Christmas Eve, it had been explained to Draco and Scorpius, was a tradition at Hermione's. After her parents had died, Pansy and Ginny had taken it upon themselves to make Christmas special for her – after all it had been her father's favourite holiday, going completely overboard when decorating their house – and had invaded her flat on the very first one after they had passed, and even after James' arrival Christmas remained at hers.

And now, Christmas Eve was in full swing. She had shut the shop early and Pansy and Theo had arrived shortly thereafter; Harry, Ginny and James a little later when Harry's shift had finished.

Even Katie had decided to join them this year, bringing the new man in her life – Cedric – with her. Hermione got the distinct impression (and the silent conversation that was happening between her, Pansy and Ginny told her that they were all thinking the same thing) that Katie was serious about this guy and wanted to show him off, this being the first ever time she'd accepted their invitation. Of course, they weren't staying over, they were just staying for dinner. Clearly they had other plans for their own Christmas Eve.

Pizza and Chinese food were the order of the night much to Draco's amusement, but he was told in no uncertain terms, that it was tradition and that's what Christmas was all about - traditions.

"Chinese food is traditional Christmas fare?"

"Yes Draco," Hermione told him, "Are you not aware of the very famous Christmas story of the three wise men coming from the east and bringing with them Kung Pao Chicken and Dim Sum?"

"Ah, no. That's one I wasn't aware of." Draco said holding back a laugh and then arching his eyebrow, "And the pizza?"

"Oh, well, I guess you don't know that famous Christmas story either. The pizza delivery guy mixed up the address. He stopped at stable 12 when it should have been stable 21."

"So Mary and Joseph celebrated the birth of their first born with pizza, and possibly beer. And that tradition continues here." Pansy added with a jovial grin.

Draco laughed, "Mental, the lot of you."

"Aye, that we are my friend." Theo said slapping him on the back.

"Please do not tell me you do that weird thing where you all wear the same pyjamas," Draco said, his top lip curling into a sneer, "Because if you do, I _will_ leave."

"Pansy tried to get us to do that, but like yourself, we refused." Harry informed him and earned a slap on the arm from Pansy.

"That was entirely your idea." She said looked at Draco and nodded towards Harry, "He's the girl in the group."

Scorpius, however, could have cared less. He was beyond excited to have so many people around him. And with pizza, Christmas at Hermione's and his best friend James, Draco was certain his son was wondering what more he could have asked for.

Both Draco and Scorpius were on the first week of their Christmas break from their respective schools, and had all but moved in, spending most nights at her flat and she loved climbing the stairs from the shop each night and having them waiting for her.

The pair had been spending more and more time with her. In fact it was rarer that they were apart than they were together and the trio had settled into an easy routine which remained almost the same whether they were at her flat or his, although mostly they were at hers. And she had to admit that she could get use to finishing work and not have to then worry about cooking for herself.

And as per Scorpius' request, she and Draco took turns reading to him each night and it had become a silent competition between the two as to who could be the most entertaining. And it hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone that the Malfoy boys seemed to be extremely reluctant to return to their own flat.

"Hermione?" James asked and pointed to the top of the tree, "Is that new?"

"It's for my mum," Scorpius answered before Hermione had the chance, "Hermione said I could put it on her tree, so her mum and dad and my mum can have Christmas with us."

Hermione indeed had suggested that Scorpius should put Astoria's decoration on her tree, but, regardless of the fact that they pair were spending most of their time in her flat, Scorpius had insisted that it stay on their tree until Christmas Eve. However, he had forgotten to grab it from the tree at their own flat the previous night and he had had a complete melt down. Hermione and Draco had managed to calm him, telling him simply that they would go back and get it, that his mother would understand that he was so excited for Christmas and he never meant to forget. Draco had explained that there were a few last minute things he needed to pick up for Christmas anyway, so he and Draco had retrieved it that morning and it now hung at the top with the red and gold baubles she placed on her tree for her parents.

"Cool," James said and then frowned, "Did your mum die like Hermione's mum and dad?"

"James!" Ginny admonished, but Draco touched her shoulder and shook his head, indicating it was fine.

"She died when I was a baby," Scorpius told him, ignoring Ginny, "I don't remember her at all."

"I'm sorry," James said, looping his arm over Scorpius' shoulders and giving him a friendly squeeze.

"Can we watch the movie now?" Scorpius asked, his mother and the significance of her being a part of Christmas all but forgotten.

The adults standing around the counter in the kitchen were watching the scene unfold in front of them with a small amount of amusement. The heart warming vision of James and Scorpius, topped off with typical seven year old nonchalance had them all smiling and shaking their heads.

"You sure can," Hermione told them, "It's all ready to go."

Along with the Chinese food/Pizza tradition, Christmas Eve tradition also stated that _The Nightmare before Christmas_ must be watched. Scorpius had not seen it, and had been eagerly awaiting his first viewing after an extended explanation from James on the intricate details of the movie.

Both boys high-fived each other and flopped into the beanbag chairs in front of the television, whispering and giggling excitedly. Hermione pressed play on the DVD and the familiar sounds of _Jack Skellington_ began playing.

"Sorry about that," Ginny said nodding towards James.

Draco smiled and shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Scorp is pretty open with what he tells people when they ask about her. He pretty much tells them what he just did, that she died and he doesn't remember her," Draco shrugged a shoulder, "And he doesn't."

"Sorry," Ginny said, "I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Draco said, "I'd rather you ask me than think that's it's an awkward subject. Because it's really not." He glanced over at the boys, his son completely absorbed with the antics of Jack and the gang, oblivious to the conversation, "He doesn't remember her, because he never knew her, not really. He has his moments when he asks about her, but they're becoming less and less. And this is the first Christmas he's had that he can remember, where he's been surrounded by people, so I'm sure he won't give it another thought."

"And we're happy to be the people he's surrounded with," Hermione said and looped her arm around his waist.

Draco reached his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, "Thanks. He's been looking forward to this for weeks."

"So it's always just you and him?" Harry asked.

"For Christmas, yes. Then he heads off to his grandparents the day after Boxing Day to spend the week with them." Draco explained then added, "His mother's parents."

"And you're left on your own for New Years?" Ginny asked and clearly she was unable to picture being all alone during the holidays.

Draco nodded, "It's not as bad as it sounds. And it's changed this year." He smiled at Hermione, "I'm not sure how I'll cope."

"I'm sure Hermione will find a way to entertain you." Pansy said with a wink.

Draco and Hermione looked at each other and burst out laughing, and Draco sputtered, "Yeah, because she's easily entertained."

* * *

"Okay boys," Theo groaned, wrestling the two boys off him. The pair had been teaching Theo how to play their crazy card game that seemed to be being made up as they went along, but they had quickly given up in favour of jumping him and wrestling him to the floor. The three had been raucously wrestling, until several grimaces and huffed groans coming from Theo indicated they had gotten a little too rough and his manhood was put at stake. "I think it might be time to calm down and get ready for Santa."

Hermione laughed, taking Theo's groans as her cue to take over, "Two books each," she told them, and they scampered off to make their choices. She strategically laid out the books she thought they might enjoy, and hoped they both would pick from those and she wasn't disappointed.

James came back with _Bear Stays up for Christmas_ and _The Polar Express,_ and Scorpius had chosen _The Jolly Christmas Postman and How the Grinch Stole Christmas._

"Right," Hermione said, "Pyjamas on and I'll be in to read these to you in two minutes. Go!"

They both ran off giggling, disappearing into the bedroom they would be sharing – an extra mattress brought in for Scorpius to sleep on, since he had insisted that James slept in the bed, telling him they could swap over the next year. Hermione had smiled (and held back the tears) at his comment, and told him that he was being very considerate, and yes, they would most definitely have to swap places the next year.

"Do you want me to come and help?" Draco asked, but Harry held up his hand.

"No, this is her thing," He said, "She'll just get pissed at you and your Christmas Eve will be no fun at all."

"Well, I certainly don't want that." Draco said resolutely sitting back on the sofa and grinning up at Hermione.

"Besides," Harry said glancing mischievously at Hermione, "If you stay here with us, we can fill you in on all the stories of her sordid past."

Hermione headed towards the waiting boys, poking Harry in the shoulder as she passed, "Hey buddy, I'm pretty sure that you were involved in almost all of those stories."

She headed down the hallway and smiled at the sight that greeted her. The two boys were settled into their respective beds, huge grins on their faces and excitement in their eyes, "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" they both cried and then Scorpius told her the reading order.

"Well, okay then," She smiled and sat on the floor between the two beds.

"Hermione?" James looked at her with a concerned face, "Will Santa know that Scorpius is here?"

"Of course he will," Hermione said, "But we left a note at his place, just in case." Scorpius had been equally concerned. Hermione had suggested the note and had been met with a sigh of relief.

"Oh, great idea," James said and handed her the first book.

"And since he knows where _you_ are each year, I'm sure he'll find Scorpius as well." She added and opened the front cover of the book James had handed her, "So, how do you think this bear manages to stay awake for Christmas?"

45 minutes later, Hermione pulled the door ajar and heard the sniggered laughter from the group sitting in her living room. She eyed the bottle on the table – Pansy's not-so-traditional, traditional Baileys-nog – and, assuming it was hers, picked up the remaining glass.

* * *

"You got them both to go to sleep?" Ginny asked hearing complete silence from down the hallway **,** and looking suitably impressed. Ginny, Harry and Draco had all gone to say goodnight to the boys and had been met with much laughter and merriment and all had assumed that there would be no way that she'd get them to sleep so quickly.

"Both snoring like freight trains," Hermione told her, curling up beside Draco and draping her leg across his lap. He reached his arm over her, resting his hand on her on her hip,

"How'd you manage that?" Draco asked.

"I used magic," she said, "What did I miss?"

"Harry here, was going to tell us about his conversation with his son," Theo informed her, a sly grin on his face, "Apparently naked cuddling and yelling is a common occurrence at the Potter house."

"Are you jealous?" Ginny asked.

Theo gave Pansy's thigh a squeeze, "Nope. I've got my own naked cuddler right here."

"Anyway," Hermione drawled and rolled her eyes, "What did you tell him?" She took a sip of her drink, and choked out a cough, "Whoa!" she managed between coughs.

"Sorry," Pansy said, "I should have warned you. It's a little more potent this year."

"A little." She gasped, "One more of these and I'll be anyone's."

"Oh really?" Draco shot her an amused look, "Should I be worried?"

Hermione glanced deliberately at Harry, then Theo, and shook her head, "Not with anyone here."

"Nice," Harry said and tossed a cushion at her head.

She caught it and tossed it back at him, "You were telling us about James."

"Ah, yes," Harry mused, "The sex talk with my seven year old." He looked pointedly at Draco, "Make sure you keep the noise down, an awkward anatomical discussion with your son might be one to avoid."

Draco laughed, "Well, maybe James will fill him in and I won't have to."

"Oh, please," Ginny groaned, "Ask Harry just _who_ talked to our son."

Pansy laughed, "You chickened out, didn't you?"

"The brave police sergeant chickened out," Hermione shook her head, mocking her friend, "I have to say, I'm disappointed in you Harry."

"What'd you tell him Gin," Theo asked shaking his head at Harry.

"Well, after his father here stumbled and stammered through a vast array of completely inappropriate innuendo's and slang terms, I sat him down and simply explained that it might be funny now to tell people that mum and dad cuddle and yell, but when he's older things will be a lot different, because he most certainly will want to do the same thing."

"I can't imagine has was impressed with that." Pansy noted.

"Um, no," Ginny laughed, "Not really. Girls have disgusting girl germs, did you know?"

"And did that led into the why questions?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, it most certainly did," Ginny said, "I simply told him that's how babies are made, that a penis is made to fit into a vagina sort of like an arm fits into a sleeve, and that dads and mums have to be cuddled up for that to happen. So my seven year old now knows all about eggs and sperm and how babies grow and I'm fairly certain I disgusted him to the point that he's not going to have sex with anyone until he's thirty!"

"Can I send Scorp over?" Draco laughed.

"And then there was the discussion regarding the fact that if that's what we were doing, was he getting a baby brother." Harry said.

"And will there be...?"

"No!" Harry and Ginny said in unison causing the others to laugh.

Hermione took another sip of Pansy's Baileys concoction - the initial shock of the potency of the mix having worn off – and she felt the warmth spread through her chest. Draco looked at her and smiled, and for a tiny moment, it was just the two of them in the room. He ran his hand along her thigh and leaned over to kiss her. It was just a quick press of lips, but both were completely oblivious to the exchanged smiles from the others.

Theo cleared his throat, and grinned at the pair. He held up two movies - _Die Hard_ and _Gremlins_ \- and asked Draco to choose.

"Another tradition?" he asked and they all nodded.

"Two of the best Christmas movies you can find." Harry said, "And since you're new here, you get to choose."

" _These_ are Christmas movies?"

"Ah, _du-uh_ ," Ginny said, "Only the best Christmas movies ever."

Draco looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow, "Don't look at me like that," she said, "Ginny's right, you'll not find two better Christmas movies anywhere."

Draco shook his head and pointed at _Die Hard_ , "I said you're all mental? Well, you can add weird to that."

Pansy grinned at him, "And we're happy to have you join the weird family that we are."

* * *

Hermione stayed in the kitchen with Pansy and Theo. The movie had finished, Pansy's Baileys-nog was long gone and now the three parents in the group were prepared the boys' stockings, chatting and laughing as they did.

As much as she wanted to be involved, she restrained herself, telling herself yet again that she wasn't Scorpius' mother, and that this was something that Draco should do on his own. She was aware that Draco wasn't concerned, he had even asked if she wanted to help, but she had told him (rather weakly) that the kitchen needed to be cleaned up and had hurried off leaving him to play Santa.

"I think he wanted you to help." Theo noted quietly as the three cleared away takeout containers and wiped down the counters.

"Why didn't you?" Pansy asked cautiously.

Hermione shrugged, "I'm still not sure how to do stuff like that. I feel like I'm interfering."

"It's not interfering when he asks you to," Theo said,

"I know, but," Hermione sighed, "It's all still confusing and I don't want to overstep."

"You're over thinking this. He's obviously not concerned with you being a part of this." Pansy said and reached over and squeezed Hermione's arm, "And this is something that you _will have_ to get used to."

"How's that?" Hermione enquired.

Theo slung his arm around her shoulders, "Because that bloke in there isn't going anywhere. You're stuck with him now, because he's one hundred percent in love with you."

Hermione's cheeks flushed pink. While she and Draco had shared their feelings with each other, she'd not shared the discussion with her friends. She hadn't wanted to , not yet, and she didn't think that she and Draco had been any different with each other, but clearly they all sensed something. "I'm not sure if I'm stuck with him," she said quietly.

"Oh honey," Theo said affectionately and kissed her temple, "You so are."

* * *

Hermione finally made it to the bedroom, her need to have everything _just right_ kept her another twenty minutes or so before joining Draco. To her surprise, Draco was nowhere to be seen, she assumed he was in the en suite bathroom, but there was a simple black gift box in the centre of the bed. She smiled as she looked closer; _La Perla_ was written on the top, the bold gold writing the only decoration on the box. She lightly ran her finger across the embossed lettering, her teeth tugging at her bottom lip in anticipation of just what was hidden inside.

"Why didn't you want to help me play Santa?" Draco said quietly from behind her, slipping his arms around her waist.

She traced her fingers back and forth across his forearm, "I wasn't sure if I should. You're his father, it's your prerogative. And I didn't want to overstep."

"And you wouldn't have been." He insisted, "It would have been no different than reading to him like you do."

"I guess," she said, "This is all still new Draco and I'm still adjusting, and I don't want anyone to think-"

He silenced her, turning her to face him, kissing her. He cupped her face and looked her straight in the eyes, "I've told you, no one will think that you're taking her place. And neither will Scorp. Is this just because you're nervous about Tuesday?"

Astoria's parents were coming to pick up Scorpius for his week away with them and they had asked if it was okay with Hermione if they could meet with her. Draco had been tentative when he asked her knowing full well the possible reaction he would get, and after the dinner with his parents, he couldn't blame her if she refused to meet with them.

But she had agreed, deeming the request only fair, Scorpius was their grandson after all and they should at the very least know who she was.

And they had _asked_ to meet her, not demanded, and in Hermione's mind, that was already a step up. Draco had assured her that they were completely different from his parents, and she had nothing to worry about. And if they didn't like her, well, that wouldn't change anything.

"Maybe," she said with a shrug, "It was nerve racking enough with your parents, and now I have to meet hers? Nervous might be an understatement."

"You know that it will be fine," he said, "Scorpius loves you and I know that alone will be enough for them."

"Yeah, I guess," she replied, "But it's easy for you. You don't have parents to meet."

"You're right, l don't," he smiled at her, "But I had that lot out there to deal with, plus Molly and Arthur, and not to mention everyone else in this town who love and adore you."

"This is true," Hermione tilted her head to the side and smiled, "Maybe I can help play Santa next year?"

He pulled her into a hug and smiled against her neck, "Most definitely next year."

"And who did Santa leave this for?" She asked nodding towards the gift box on the bed.

"I'm not sure," He said, "Maybe you should open it and find out."

"I love it," she told him.

He laughed quietly, "You don't even know what's in there."

"I don't have to know," she said pressing up on her toes to kiss him, "I know you have excellent taste."

"So you're not going to open it?" Draco asked.

"I will, but if that box has in it what I imagine it does, I will be waiting until we're alone before I wear it." She laughed at the face he made; an exaggerated frown and pouting lips. "I'm sure all protocols of knocking on that door will be forgotten in the morning, and I'm sure that you don't want your son to see me in whatever's in there."

"Good point," Draco conceded, "But, please open it."

She pulled the box towards her, tracing the lettering once more before lifting the cover. She sucked in a breath. It was the exact same set she'd been considering, as a surprise for him. _How did he know?_

She gingerly lifted the lingerie from the box, holding it up to admire it. The deep, emerald green bra had sheer cups that were exquisitely hand embroidered in a fine calligraphic motif. The matching thong had been left sheer, and would leave very little to the imagination.

"I'm not sure if this is a gift for me or for you," Hermione said looking forward to enjoying the feel of it on her skin, _and_ looking forward to seeing Draco's face the first time she wore it.

Draco kissed her, "You like it then?"

She lifted up on her toes and kissed him, "Thank you. It's stunning. How did you know?"

He grinned, "I can read you like a book." She narrowed her eyes at him, "It's true. You thought you were being so covert, but I know you've been considering buying that for a couple weeks now. Only you've been looking at the white version."

She laughed, "I know you like white."

"I do," he said, "But I think I'll like you in any version of this."

She placed the bra and thong back in the box, and replaced the cover. She turned back to him, looping her arms around his neck, "I'm looking forward to wearing it for you."

"Merry Christmas," He said and kissed her.

"Not until tomorrow," she chided, and he laughed.

"Merry Christmas Eve?" he offered.

"Much better," she told him and headed for the bathroom.

She returned a few minutes later, dressed modestly in flannel pyjama bottoms and a simple tank and she laughed at the look of mocking disappointment on his face. She crawled into the bed beside him, telling him that what she was wearing was much safer for what she expected to be an early wake up call.

Draco curled around her, spooning his body with hers, wrapping her safely in his arms. She sighed and relaxed into his chest, shifting their bodies and tangling her legs with his. He breathed her in, dark waves tickling his face; her rear pivoting into his pelvis. She murmured an apology at his groan, feeling him growing hard against her arse.

"Don't apologise," he said moving his hand beneath her tank and sliding up to cup her breast, squeezing gently.

"Draco," she warned, "We can't"

He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, "Why not?"

"Everyone's here."

He snorted into her shoulder, "And that matters how?"

'Draco!" she hissed, "It does matter."

"You don't think they're doing the same?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder at him, clearly she hadn't thought of what her friends might have been up to, and judging by the look on her face, she didn't want to think about it.

His pressed a tiny kiss to the tip of her nose, his fingers slipping lower across her belly and teasing the waistband of her pyjamas. He ground into her flannel covered rear, his steadily growing erection pushing through the hole at the front of his sleep pants and pressing hard against her. A small gasp escaped her, and he was instantly aware that despite her objections, she wasn't as averse to doing this as she wanted him to believe.

His hand went lower still, finding her warm and damp, and he whispered into her ear, "Are you _sure_ you don't want to?"

She reached back and grasped at his hip, "We need to be quiet," she whispered shimmying out of her bottoms and shoving at his own.

She shifted to turn, but he held her in place, "Stay there," he told her, gripping her hip and slipping inside. They both moaned quietly and Draco pressed his face into her neck, another groan vibrating against her skin.

She reached back, her fingers sliding through his hair and she hummed her approval at the pleasure of their new-found position. His fingers dug into her hip, holding her in place as he began to push into her until her rear was pressed hard against his pelvis.

"Draco," she gasped, the tip of his cock sliding against the perfect spot inside her. Her body shuddered as he thrust up into her, her hand surrounded his wrist as his fingers toyed with her clit and she squirmed against him.

"Fuck," he murmured, "So tight like this." He repeated the movement, each thrust harder than the last. Her hand scrambled back, gripping his hip as the pressure built, their hips slamming together as they rode each other. His fingers shifted from her clit, moving back to her breast, twisting and pulling at her nipple.

Hermione clenched her teeth, stopping the cries that were threatening to explode from her, "Draco, fuck!...You feel...oh, _oh!"_

He picked up the pace, sliding in and out of her at a furious speed, and it was all she could do to not scream out his name and wake the entire household.

"Come, Hermione," he hissed out, "Now!"

Her body shuddered at his command, clamping down hard and she groaned into the pillow. He pressed his face into her neck, muffling his own groan as he released inside her.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered against her shoulder.

She chuckled, "Merry Christmas indeed."

* * *

"Dad!" The loud voice startled them both from their sleep, "Dad! You need to wake up." Scorpius leaped onto the bed, landing on Draco and pulling a sleepy _oomph_ from him, "Come on dad, wake up!"

"I'm awake," Draco told him, his voice gravelly.

"Hermione! Wake up," Scorpius scrambled over Draco, squeezing himself between them and wrapping his arms around Hermione, kissing her cheek, "You need to wake up. There's presents everywhere!"

Hermione cracked open an eyelid, 5.45am she read on the clock. Early, no earlier than her morning run alarm, but early nonetheless. She twisted around, smiling at the excitement all over Scorpius' face.

"Good morning to you Scorpius," Hermione said returning his kiss, "Just how many presents _are_ out there?"

"Heaps and heaps!" he exclaimed, "James is getting Harry and Ginny. Come on, we have to get out there."

"Hey!" Draco grabbed his son and sat up, making him laugh, "You don't get to kiss my girlfriend before I do!"

"Then kiss her and get up!" Scorpius demanded, wriggling from Draco's grip, his bare feet landing on the floor.

Draco smiled at Hermione, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Hermione said sitting up to kiss him. She nodded towards Scorpius, who was retreating towards the door, "Best we get out there. But you need to put a shirt on. I don't need Ginny and Pansy drooling all over you."

Draco nodded towards her chest, barely hidden behind the tiny tank she was wearing, "Best you do the same."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine," Hermione said kissing him again, "Pansy and Ginny have already seen them, and they're not interested."

10 minutes later, they were seated in the living room, appropriately covered up – hoodies over flannel pyjama bottoms for the pair of them – and enjoying the excitement of having two seven year-olds opening presents. Lego and books, video games and board games, and the most coveted gifts of all, the Nerf guns, which even had the older 'boys' in the room grinning at the prospective Nerf war that was sure to come later in the day.

Two identical, large presents sat under the tree, one marked _To James,_ the other _To Scorpius,_ both were from Hermione.

"These are for us?" Scorpius asked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"They are," Hermione told him, "Merry Christmas."

The two boys glanced at each other and grinned, before tearing off the paper.

"You bought us magic magic kits?" James asked, looking completely astounded.

The boys had been prattling on over the last few weeks about a magic set they had both seen; the _Fantasma Ultimate Magic Kit_ , magic wand and vanishing box included. They had both explained in great detail just how awesome it would be _and_ they could learn over 300 magic tricks.

They both leaped on her, hugging her to within an inch of her life, "You're welcome." She laughed, "I expect a show next week."

"And here I thought the Nerf guns were going to be the big hit," Harry grumbled good naturedly.

Hermione presented Draco with two books. The first was a modern re-telling of the Trojan War; the second, a Greek-English translation of the same story. Draco laughed at the reference, but was quickly taken aback when he opened the front cover.

"It was my dad's," Hermione nodded at the surprised look on his face.

"Hermione, are you sure?"

"I am," she said, "You love this stuff way more than I do, and I could just imagine the cover stations the two of you would have had."

"Thank you," Draco leaned over to kiss her, "This is...thank you."

"This is for you Hermione," Scorpius said, "But you have to be really careful because it's really old-"

Draco covered his mouth with his hand, "How about we don't tell her what it is?"

Scorpius climbed onto Draco's lap, curling his arm around his neck and looking at Hermione expectantly, "Open it Hermione. Dad says you'll love it."

Hermione looked at the two boys sitting beside her, identical smiles on their faces, their blue-grey eyes shining with delight. "It's old, you say?" she asked, unable to stop her own smile from spreading across her face as Scorpius nodded eagerly and asking him _what could it possibly be?_ She carefully opened the simple red paper, watching Scorpius from the corner of her eye as his smile grew wider. She was wondering what the pair had gotten her that could have him so excited.

She lifted the top off the gift box, and her heart stopped beating. She was stunned. Scorpius was correct, this _was_ old. _Very old._ She lifted it carefully from the box, and held it up almost reverently. She dusted her fingertips across the cover of the book. She had recognised it immediately; a first edition of Jane Austen's _Sense and Sensibility._

"You like it?" Draco asked.

"Draco," she whispered, "This is too much."

"No," he said, "We knew you'd love it, so it's just enough."

"And we know how much you love old books." Scorpius added.

She opened the front cover; it wasn't an original first edition, but a first Bentley edition, third edition overall, also the first one-volume edition. And expensive, way too expensive for a first Christmas gift.

"Thank you," she said, her voice still barely above a whisper. The two blondes sitting beside her hugged her, but they were unable to distract her from the thought of just how much Draco had spent. She'd not ever considered that he came from money, even after he'd explained that his father's main prerogative in life was simply to make as much money as possible. And she wasn't sure that she could accept a gift like this.

"Draco, I'm not sure-" she said, but he stopped her.

"I am," he said, "And I won't hear any more about it." He held up her father's book she'd given him to prove his point.

"You can put it with that old book from your dad," Scorpius suggested, and she smiled up at him.

"I think that's the perfect place for it."

"So you like it?" Scorpius asked.

"I love it," Hermione told him.

* * *

Draco's phone buzzed, interrupting the conversation. The boys had helped Draco make Christmas tree and snowmen shaped pancakes for breakfast and they were all gathered around the counter enjoying what James claimed to be the best Christmas breakfast ever.

He picked up the phone and looked at the screen. He swore under his breath, and muttered _what does she want?_ before looking up at Hermione, a heavy scowl on his face. She looked at the screen and saw his mother's name. She watched him as indecision furrowed his brow even deeper, before he huffed out a sharp breath and pressed _accept_ on the screen.

"Mother," He said, walking down the hallway.

Scorpius looked nervously at Hermione, "Grandma never calls us on Christmas."

Hermione circled her arm over his shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, reassuring him, "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Yes, we're both at Hermione's now," They heard Draco say in a sharp voice, "Yes, we spent the night and we're now having breakfast with friends...I'm not really concerned with what you think about it...Yes, well you're not here, so it doesn't really matter, does it?...I'll see."

He returned to the kitchen, the scowl still on his face, "Scorp, can you please say hello to your grandmother?"

Scorpius took the phone with a reluctant sigh, "Hi Grandma," he said with very little enthusiasm, "Yes...Yes...No...Okay...Merry Christmas." He handed the phone back to Draco, who wished his mother the same, and pressed _end._

"Sorry about that," Draco said into the awkward silence.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked pressing her hand to his lower back

Draco nodded, "She never calls, so I think she was trying to prove some kind of point."

"They don't ever spend Christmas with you?' Harry asked, a look of complete astonishment on his face. He, along with Hermione, knew the importance of family, since they were both essentially orphans, and he found it hard to believe that Draco's parents would put a trip to Spain before time spent with their only son.

Draco shook his head, and none of them missed the contempt in his voice when he told them, "No. Never. Spain is way more important."

"Do you need a minute?" Hermione asked.

He shook his head and smiled at her, "No. I'm fine. I didn't mean to be so sharp with her, she just surprised me is all."

"Maybe she's trying to change," Hermione suggested and Draco told her that while he appreciated the sentiments, his mother wasn't likely to change any time soon.

Scorpius looped his arms around Draco's waist, hugging him tightly, "Don't worry Dad, it's much more fun here without them."

He smiled down at his son, "You're right. Best Christmas ever?"

Scorpius nodded, "Best Christmas ever."


	14. Chapter 14

Hermione took a deep breath.

Boxing Day had been a quiet, relaxing day. Snow had been falling sporadically all day and it was just she, Draco and Scorpius building Lego sets, shooting Nerf bullets, Scorpius waving his magic wand and yelling _Abracadabra_ every chance he got. They re-watched _The Nightmare before Christmas_ twice (and it would have been a third time if Scorpius had gotten his way. Clearly he had fallen completely in love with Jack Skellington, but both Draco and Hermione had suggested he should watch something else. He had chosen _The Princess Bride_ , which was watched all over again the second it finished). The shop was closed for a week and she'd not given any thought to the impending meeting with Scorpius' grandparents, simply enjoying her day with the Malfoy boys.

But now, they were at Draco's, awaiting their arrival. The enormity of it having descended on her and the butterflies that had been quietly fluttering all morning had now become a swarm in her stomach. Meeting Draco's parents had left her raw, with a bitter taste in her mouth. Draco had assured her that it would be different with Astoria's parents, they weren't like his, not pretentious or snobby. They were good natured, friendly. And they would like her.

But his reassurances did nothing to push the nightmare that was dinner with his parents out of her head.

Draco was well aware of her of just how on edge she was, but he also knew that any further attempt to calm her nerves would be futile. He simply moved around the kitchen, preparing lunch for them all, allowing her to get in his way and take over. It was the only thing that appeared to be keeping her mind off another meet and greet with another set of parents.

The doorbell rang and Hermione's stomach lurched. _What a great first impression that would be_ , she berated herself, _throwing up on the kitchen floor._

Draco's hand landed on her shoulder, "You have nothing to be worried about." She nodded, but until this was all over, she was sure the tension she was feeling would remain.

Scorpius ran to the door and Hermione noted the immediate difference. He had stayed with her when Draco's parents had arrived and he had showed little enthusiasm in greeting them. This time, however, his excitement was palpable.

"Hermione's here," she heard Scorpius say by way of greeting "And she's awesome and you'll love her."

"No pressure though," Hermione muttered and Draco laughed. He kissed her temple, and told her, _he's right, they'll love you._

"Well you'd better introduce us then," she heard a male voice say, and she could hear the smile in his voice. But she wasn't sure if it was amusement at his grandson's excitement, or genuine interest in meeting her.

"She's with dad," Scorpius said, "Come and see her."

Draco laughed again, "Apparently you're an exhibit."

"Not helping," she said scowling at him.

"This is her," Scorpius said leading his grandparents into the kitchen, "This is Hermione." She was met with smiles, genuine ones, not the fake, plastered on ones she had been greeted with previously. "This is grandma and grandpa,"

"It's lovely to finally meet you Hermione," his grandmother said, "But please, call me Clara, and this is Cuthbert."

"But please call me Bert, my wife here has the only sensible name I know of." his grandfather told her with a wink. He was tall, towering even over Draco. His eyes were kind and his smile infectious, and Hermione instantly liked him.

Hermione smiled, "And it's lovely to meet you both too. Scorpius has told me all about you."

"And us you," Clara said, "We hear that you have your own book shop?"

Hermione nodded, "I do. And these two are my best customers."

"I hope you charge them double," Cuthbert said and Hermione couldn't help but snigger at the grin on his face.

"Draco, sorry," Clara said realising she hadn't greeted him and hugged him, "You didn't go to too much trouble?"

"Of course I did," he told her, "And it's not trouble."

"Look at this Grandpa!" Scorpius exclaimed showing his grandfather the Lego model he had planned to take with him, "We can build this at your house." Cuthbert headed to the couch with Scorpius, both examining the box and eagerly discussing the construction.

Hermione exhaled, the butterflies calming in her stomach. Draco had been right, this was entirely different, at least so far.

"Are you okay dear?" Clara asked gently touching her arm.

Hermione looked surprised, not realising the breath she had let out was loud enough to be heard. She nodded, "Yes, thank you. I'm fine. Just nervous about meeting you both."

"Oh," it was Clara's turn to look surprised, "There's no need for that. Our grandson speaks very highly of you, as does Draco. We've no choice but to like you."

"These two might be somewhat jaded. I do ply them with coffee and books, so I'm not sure just how accurate they are."

Clara laughed and Hermione smiled at the same twinkle in her eyes that she often saw in Scorpius' eyes. "Well, I can tell by the look on my grandson's face when he talks about you, that no bribery is necessary." She turned to Draco, "Now, you go and explain to Cuthbert just how to put that together, because you know he has absolutely no idea how to do it himself, so Hermione and I can have a civilized conversation. It's been far too long since I've had female company."

Draco hesitated for no more than a total of 3 seconds before grinning at the look of panic on Hermione's face and heading off to join his son and Cuthbert.

Hermione walked back into the kitchen and began pulling plates form the cupboard, the butterflies returning in full flight. _Shit, shit, shit,_ she thought, cursing Draco for leaving her, and preparing herself for the lecture that she was sure that was to come.

"You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart," Clara reassured her, opening a cupboard and taking out juice glasses, looking as comfortable in Draco's kitchen as he did, "I'm always here with the boys, so it's nice to have some female company for a change."

Hermione let out another breath, "Sorry," she said, "I'm not usually like this, it's just that after meeting Draco's-" she stopped short, not sure just how close the friendship with Lucius and Narcissa was.

"It was a fairly intense meet, I hear." Clara said with a knowing look, and Hermione simply nodded, "We see them less then Draco does, and I'm well aware of what they're like. But let's not worry about them. Tell me about you. I know you have a book shop," she hesitated slightly, "And Draco says you lost both your parents?"

"I did," Hermione said, "Over ten years ago. It was a car crash."

"He said," Clara told her, and Hermione wondered just how much he had told her, but Clara put her mind at ease, "He only told us so we didn't ask awkward questions."

"Oh, I don't mind. Not really. And you've experienced the same."

"Yes, we have." She replied with a sigh. She smiled over at her grandson, "But we have him."

Hermione could help but smile herself, "Is he like her?"

"Sometimes," Clara told her, "Her smile and laugh, but otherwise he's all Draco."

"I'm sorry you lost her." She smiled at Clara, empathising, not pitying; she hated it herself when people pitied her.

"Thank you Hermione," Clara said in a soft tone, "It was hard, especially since Scorpius was so young, but like I said, her legacy is right there."

Hermione met her eyes, smiling at the complete adoration Clara had for her grandson. But she could see the look of loss hidden deep in her eyes. The look was familiar, she rarely saw it in her own face anymore but that didn't take away from the fact that she knew the hurt that would always reside in her, and she knew that the woman standing beside her would always feel the same.

And she could see why Draco had fallen so in love with Astoria. Her parents were instantly likeable and she was sure that Astoria had been the same. She wondered just how Draco's parents had become friends with them; they were polar opposites. And while she tried to resist the urge to do so, she couldn't help but compare them to her own parents; the warmth that radiated off them was unmistakable.

Clara squeezed Hermione's arm affectionately, "It's obvious that he likes you, both of them do. He hasn't had anyone in his life since Astoria, he hasn't let anyone in, and we're glad he's finally found someone he feels comfortable enough to introduce us to." She sighed and then smiled at Hermione, "Not that he has to, we're not technically his family."

"No, I'm fairly certain you are." A warmth spread through Hermione at Clara's approval, even though her approval wasn't something that Hermione was seeking.

"As I think you are, the two of them talk about you constantly." Clara said, then hesitated before asking "And, um, he also said that you were married?"

Hermione nodded, "I was, but that all ended three years ago when I found out he...um, wanted something else."

"Something else?"

"Yeah," Hermione let out a shaky exhale, "He left me for another woman. A woman who could give him what I couldn't."

Clara frowned, "Something you-" her eyes went wide, "Oh, sweetheart! Draco never said. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up-"

"It's okay," Hermione assured her, "I've come to terms with it." She smiled nervously at her, "I guess I assumed he would have told you. I don't want anyone to think that Scorpius is my chance at a child. And I certainly don't want to take your daughters place."

"I know that," Clara said with a smile, "I can tell that you have a good heart Hermione. Those two boys adore you, and that's all I need to know that you're intentions are not malicious or selfish." Clara tilted her head to one side and levelled Hermione with an unreadable expression, "Your husband left you? He cheated on you with another woman over something that you had no control over?" Hermione nodded and Clara grinned at her, "Well, clearly he's an idiot."

Hermione snorted a laugh, "That's a lot kinder than some of the things I've called him."

Clara laughed and put her hand on Hermione's shoulder as she called the boys over for lunch. "I love those boys with all my heart, but I have to say, it's so nice to have another girl around."

Hermione laughed glancing up at Draco, who was smiling at her with smug _I told you so_ grin. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, turning back to help Clara with getting lunch on the table.

Cuthbert grinned at his wife, "You didn't ambush this poor girl in the kitchen and warn her off our boys, did you?"

Clara slapped his shoulder good naturedly, "You can see why I'm happy to have you here?" she said to Hermione, who laughed and told Cuthbert that it was all perfectly civilised.

"So Hermione, Draco tells us you've lived here your whole life?" Cuthbert asked when they were all finally settled at the table.

"He's right. My parents were both dentists here, and I never really saw myself living anywhere else. The big city life just isn't for me."

Cuthbert chuckled, "And from what I hear, there's no need for you to leave."

Hermione glanced at Draco, "What have you been telling them?"

"Just how amazingly successful you are," Draco told her, and Cuthbert laughed.

"He also told us how you met."

Hermione's cheeks flushed and she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Oh my god! You did not!?"

Draco nodded and Hermione glared at him. He reached over and caressed the back of her neck, "Oh, come on, it's a highly amusing story. Certainly memorable."

"So you gave them a delightful picture before they met me. Wow, thanks."

Draco leaned over and kissed her cheek, "You're welcome."

She looked at Clara and Cuthbert, both were clearly trying not to laugh, "Anyway," Hermione said steering the conversation away from her, "What are your plans for this week?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we have the Snakes and Ladders World Champion right here, so I'm going to try my best to take the title away from him." Cuthbert said patting Scorpius affectionately on the back.

"Yeah," Scorpius nodded, "He hasn't beaten me in forever."

"World champion, huh? I had no idea," Hermione said, "I might have to challenge him when he gets back. I was pretty good when I was small. My dad never beat me."

Scorpius shrugged, "I'll beat you."

Hermione tapped the table, "I'll have the board set up right here for when you get back. And then we'll see who the world champion really is."

Scorpius laughed, "It'll be me."

"We'll see," Hermione told him giving him her best threatening glare, and he just laughed.

* * *

"Bye Hermione," Scorpius said squeezing her tightly, "I love you."

The conversation had continued easily between them all. Cuthbert and Clara had regaled Hermione with stories of Draco's younger years, and had her in tears of laughter as they told her about Draco and Astoria's relationship at its very beginning, Cuthbert assuring her that the confident, well groomed man sitting beside had not been so put together in his younger days.

"Quite the scruffy rascal, this one," Clara had chuckled, "His parents were not pleased with the unwashed, unkempt teenager living in their house."

"I'm not sure she needs to know that," Draco had said as Cuthbert shot Hermione a wink and mouthed _I'll bring photos._

"I love you too, Scorpius," Hermione said glancing quickly at Clara who was smiling brightly. "Have a great week."

"I will." He said heading for the door.

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed, "What about me?"

"Bye Dad, love you." Scorpius called without a backwards glance.

"Knocked off the favourite throne I see," Cuthbert guffawed picking up Scorpius' bag.

"It's kind of hard to compete with the _awesome bookshop lad_ y," he said nudging Hermione's shoulder, "I've stopped even trying."

"Enjoy your week, kids," he winked at them making Hermione blush, "Stay out of trouble. And if you do get into trouble, I want to know all about it."

Clara hugged them both, "We'll call when get home."

"Thanks," Draco said, appreciating the call each and every time they took Scorpius. Their drive home was long enough without the added hazard of the weather at this time of year.

"It was lovely to meet you, Hermione," Clara said squeezing her hand.

"And you," Hermione said.

"It wasn't too nerve wracking I hope?"

"No, not at all," Hermione laughed, "Enjoy your week."

"We always do."

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Hermione said sauntering into the bedroom.

They'd returned to her flat after realising that in her nervousness she had completely forgotten to bring anything with her. And while Draco had expressed he was completely fine with her being naked in his flat, Hermione insisted they go back to hers, pointing out that half of his clothes were there anyway.

Draco held up his hand, his phone still pressed to his ear, "Please call me, anytime. You know that..." Draco nodded, "I don't want to take time away from you with him, but if he's being insolent you don't need to deal with him...I know, but I'll come and get him if his behaviour doesn't improve...if you're sure... I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Draco pressed end on his phone and tossed it onto the nightstand. He squeezed his eyes shut, exhaled a deep breath and shook his head.

"Hey," Hermione said quietly, touching his shoulder lightly, "What's happened?"

He looked up at her and his eyes went wide; she was wearing a tiny pair of sleep shorts and a tight fitting camisole that left very little to the imagination.

"Draco?"

"Sorry, what?" He said and grinned, "I'm kind of distracted here."

She laughed and sat beside him, nodding towards the discarded phone, "Is Scorpius okay?"

Draco let out a frustrated growl, "That was Clara, he's being difficult."

Hermione frowned, "In what way?"

"Answering back, telling them he doesn't want to be there and that he wants to come home." He ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know what's gotten into him, he's never been like this. He loves spending time with them. And no, they don't blame you." Draco said and squeezed her knee.

"How-"

"It's all over your face," he said, "They loved you. Truly they did. And they love that you're so enamoured with their grandson."

Her lips twisted into an embarrassed smile, "Well, it's not too hard to be enamoured with him. But what's gotten him upset? He was so happy when he left."

Draco shrugged, "I've no idea. I talk to him tomorrow and try to find out."

"I'm sure it'll be nothing," She pressed her lips to his cheek, "Bathroom's yours. Don't take too long."

He watched as she crawled across her bed, her scantily clad arse in the air, teasing him, "Really Granger?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

She looked back over her shoulder, her face a picture of innocence, "What?"

"Waving your arse in the air, trying to temp me. It won't work." He shrugged.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Malfoy." She smirked at him and wiggled her arse once more.

He laughed and turned around, "Oh, you can do better than that," he called over his shoulder as he entered the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxer briefs, tossing his clothes into the hamper. He and Scorpius had become to think of her flat like it was their own. The pair had taken to leaving changes of clothes and Scorpius had even brought some of his favourite toys. They'd spent more time there than at their own place in recent weeks and the feeling of familiarity, of belonging had an unexpected warmth settling in his chest.

He was brushing his teeth when he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He felt her kiss his back between his shoulder blades, before pressing herself against him. _Holy fuck_! he thought, _Is she naked?_

"Are you done?" She asked quietly.

He rinsed his mouth and ran the back of his hand across his face, "Yeah," he said his hands sliding along her forearms, "What are you thinking?"

She didn't respond, instead she began kissing along his spine. Her hand moved lower, cupping him, squeezing gently. She hooked her fingers over the waistband of his boxers and pushed them down his legs. "Turn around," she told him.

He did as she asked, kicking off the underwear that had pooled at his feet. She leaned in and kissed his chest, licking, sucking and biting at his bare skin. She flattened her tongue and trailed it across his nipple and Draco sucked in a breath at the sensation. She ran her hand across his chest, tracing the outlines of his muscles with her fingers, taking her time, feeling his muscles twitch under her ministrations. She brushed her fingers through the fine hair at the base of his cock, before wrapping her fingers around his growing erection, slowly stroking up and down.

Hermione sighed against his chest, closing her eyes and revelling in the feel of his hard flesh. She glanced up at him and found him staring down at her. She smiled and began to kiss her way down his chest, lower and lower until she dropped to her knees in front of him. She watched as he grew to full hardness, his skin stretching tightly as he grew thicker and longer, his foreskin sliding back to reveal the rounded tip already wet and leaking. She loved his cock, the way it jutted straight out from his body, the slight upward curve that allowed him to slide against the sensitive spot inside her.

Draco shuddered slightly, when she cupped his balls, her lips sliding across his hips. His cock twitched as she grazed her nails across the sensitive skin on his sac.

"Hermione," he yelped, "What are...argh!" His breath caught when she began to kiss along his hard length. His head dropped back and his hands gripped the bathroom counter, and he let out a startled groan when her thumb brushed over the tip spreading the beads of moisture across the sensitive skin and then her mouth slowly descended on him,

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He yelled, his hands flying to shoulders attempting to pull her from the floor, "Hermione, no.."

She pulled her mouth from him with a wet popping sound and peered up at him, his face looked pained, "Draco?"

"Hermione, I...don't-" he clenched his jaw.

Hermione stood and cupped his face, this wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting, "What is it?" His eyes dropped away from hers and the pained expression remained.

"Draco?" She said quietly, and then it hit her. How the hell was _that_ possible? "No one's ever…?"

He could feel his cheeks heating up, "Ah, no..I..um...I've...no one...who wanted to." He stammered.

"It's okay Draco," Hermione said gently, and then wondering back to their first night together asked, "You mean, I was the first?" He nodded, "That's why you stopped me?"

He nodded again, "I didn't want to...ah...not in your mouth."

She kissed him gently, "Then don't. Tell me when, and I'll pull away."

"You don't have to," he said, "I don't care if you don't want to."

She pressed a kiss to his chest, "But I want to. Is that okay?"

He smiled at her and cupped her jaw, "Only if you want to."

Hermione wrapped her hand around him, tugging him back to full hardness, before kissing him quickly and dropping back to her knees, kissing the tip of him and smiling at the small shudder that caused. She took him slowly into her mouth, her lips slipping down his shaft.

A shuddered breath had her peering up at him and she smiled at the sight. Draco's head was thrown back, mouth slightly agape, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his breathing grew short and fast. Her heart swelled with pride knowing she could do this to him, that she was the first to do this to him. She hummed against him, the sound vibrating along his shaft, a loud groan falling from his mouth.

She lifted his cock to trail her tongue along the underside of it and it twitched in her hand. She squeezed his balls harder and Draco moaned, his hand gripping her shoulder as she flicked her tongue along the slit in the rounded head, tasting him. She repeated the motion several times, before taking the tip into her mouth and sucking hard, twirling her tongue around him. She concentrated on just the head, teasing him relentlessly, sucking hard and slipping her tongue up and down his slit, pulling loud moans from him that reverberated off the bathroom walls.

Draco finally found his voice, "Hermione. Your mouth...feels...oh! Fuck!" The feeling was like nothing he could even describe. Her mouth was all warmth and moisture and gentle strokes of her tongue lapping at the head of his dick.

She silenced him again by taking his length deeper into her mouth. Her fingers toyed with the hairs at his base, while her other hand tugged at his balls, pulling and squeezing gently. She moved in a steady rhythm up and down his shaft, her tongue pressing hard against the underside. Her eyes flicked up to him, he was watching her, his eyes wide, pupils blown and she smirked around his length. She pulled back slowly until just the tip rested on her lips. She flicked her tongue across the head once more before kissing along the side of his cock going lower and lower until she reached the base.

She smiled inwardly, knowing full well the reaction she was about to elicit from him, lowering her head and swiping her tongue across his sac. She first took one testicle into her mouth sucking hard and then the other, smiling to herself as Draco cried out her name.

Her own hands gripped the backs of his thighs, her fingernails digging into the hard muscles, before taking his entire length back into her mouth, moving fast, her tongue and teeth licking and grazing along the heated flesh. He began to undulate his hips, humping gently into her mouth, while his hands gripped her hair. She slid her hands to his arse, pulling him deeper, his cock hitting the back of her throat with each thrust.

"Hermione! I'm gonna come!" Draco growled.

She pulled back, her hand gripping him tightly, tugging him roughly, "Come all over me." She told him and his eyes went wide. He slapped her hand away, replacing it with his own. She leaned back, watching as his hand moved furiously over his swollen shaft. Her own breath hitched, waiting with anticipation for him to finish.

He gripped his balls in his hand, squeezing hard, his other hand still frantically moving over his length. He groaned, and she watched as his entire body tensed and his cock swelled and streams of hot fluid exploded from the tip landing on her chest. His hand slowed and his knees buckled. She huffed out an _oomph_ as he dropped to the floor, landing awkwardly on top of her, pushing her backwards to the cold tiles.

"Sorry," he grunted rolling off her.

She laughed, "You okay?"

"Give me ten minutes." He said breathlessly, "That was..."

Hermione grinned, "That was me sucking your cock."

"Yeah it was." He closed his eyes, his hand resting on his stomach, his breathing evening out. He turned his head to face her, "You're fucking amazing, you know that?"

She ran a finger through the sticky mess he'd made on her chest, "Yeah, I know." She said in haughty voice.

He reached down and pinched her hip making her giggle, "What about you?" He asked sliding his hand across her stomach, reaching between her thighs. He pressed a finger between her folds, finding her drenched. "How much did _you_ enjoy that?"

She bit her bottom lip, dragging it slowly between her teeth, "I _always_ enjoy that."

Draco pushed himself up onto one elbow, his fingers slowly working though her slit. He circled her entrance, pulling the moisture up and dragging it around her clit. He watched as she closed her eyes, her teeth digging into her lip, her hips slowly began to move her as he lowered his head, taking her nipple into his mouth. She sighed and ran her hand through is hair. He took his time, knowing if he drew this out he'd be back to full hardness and could fuck her right there on the bathroom floor. He pulled back from her nipple to look up at her, her skin was flushed with arousal, her nipples fully erect.

"Draco," she whispered and he looked back up at her. He shifted back up and captured her mouth, pressing his tongue against hers. He felt her hand wrap around his cock, and he pulled back from her mouth.

"You sucked the life out of it," he sniggered, "Give it a few more minutes."

She laughed, "Maybe you could show me the same disrespect." She pushed at his head, directing him down towards her core.

He kissed her navel, and shifted from beside her, settling between her legs. He pushed her legs wider, opening her to him and nipped at the soft skin on her inner thighs making her squirm. He gripped her hip bones, holding her thighs apart with his forearms and licked a long swipe along her slit, flicking over her clit making her inhale sharply. He repeated the motion, over and over until she was trying to rock against him. His arms held her still, and she growled in frustration. He chuckled against her core, the vibrations sending a wave of pleasure through her.

She felt his fingers pressing against her, teasing her entrance. She arched her back trying to speed him up, but he was having none of it. He teased her mercilessly, his tongue dancing across her wet pussy while his fingers circled her entrance.

"Draco!" She cried, as he moved his mouth from her, nipping again at her inner thigh.

"Touch yourself," he ordered and her hand flew between her thighs. He watched as she frantically rubbed her clit, bringing herself closer to orgasm. He smirked, knowing she was close and ripped her hand away, listening as she howled at him. He dove back down, freeing her hips from his grip, and she immediately began to thrust against his face. He pushed two fingers into her, making her come instantly, her cry of pleasure filling the room. He pushed his fingers deeper, pumping them hard and fast into her, while his tongue tortured her clit. In less than a minute, she was crying out again. He lapped gently at her, until she shoved at his head, murmuring _too much_

He grinned as he moved over her, his cock was only semi-erect, but he didn't care. She was so wet he'd slide easily into her. He reached down, pulling his foreskin back and sliding into her. She gasped in surprise, her eyes flying open, staring at him. Her inner muscles were still spasming, fluttering around his cock, making him harder.

"Draco," she panted, "What're you...?"

He leaned down and kissed her, "I'm about to fuck you. Hard."

Her eyes went wide then a smirk crossed her face. She pulled him down to her, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and flipping them. It was his turned to be surprised, as she braced her hands on his chest and began to ride him. She felt him grow thicker and harder inside her as she moved with total abandon, fast and hard. He gripped her thighs, feeling the taught muscles moving beneath her skin pushing her as she bounced on his cock. She repeatedly slammed down onto him, fucking him harder and harder, moaning his name and a string of expletives. He sat up beneath her, bracing his arms behind himself, and began thrusting upwards. Their bodies met in a frantic rush, their skin slapping together, the noise loud, echoing around the tiled walls.

She threw her head back, gripping his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. Draco leaned forward, taking her nipple into his mouth, biting down gently. She hissed out a breath at the contact, one hand gripping the back of his head, pulling him closer. He sucked hard as she rode him, grinding against him, driving his cock deeper and deeper into her.

"Draco, fuck, yes, yes, yeeessss!" She almost screamed, her legs burning as she moved faster.

"Come on baby," Draco growled, "Give me everything." He flicked his thumb over her clit, she groaned out his name, her head thumping forward onto his shoulder. He pumped up into her, meeting her thrust for thrust, barely hanging on, waiting for her to release. He knew she was close, her silky walls tightening around him. He pressed harder on her clit, and she moaned into his shoulder, her teeth biting down at the juncture of his neck.

Draco felt the walls of her pussy tighten around him, spasming as she continued to rock against him, riding out the pleasure that burned inside her. The deep ache beneath his cock signalled his own release, his hand sliding to her lower back, holding her against him. With one last thrust, he came with a choked cry, his seed spilling deep into her body.

They tumbled back to the floor, their sweat soaked skin pressing together, their breaths coming hard and fast.

Hermione pushed up slightly, bracing her hands beside his shoulders. She smiled at the sight beneath her, Draco's head thrown back, eyes closed, skin flushed. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his throat.

"I have no words," he murmured, gripping her hips, attempting to push her up.

"Not yet," she said, "I love you inside me." She rocked gently against him. He shuddered and dug his fingers into her hips, holding her still.

"No," he groaned, "I can't. Too much."

She leaned down and kissed him, "Sorry," she whispered against his lips, stilling above him. She watched as he came back around, his eyes fluttering open, a completely satisfied smile gracing his face.

"It's okay," he released his grip on her hips, and glanced down to where they were still joined, "It kind of a mess down there."

"Bath," she panted, rolling off of him and groaned as every muscle in her body protested. "I'm dying for a bath."

* * *

"So the first night we were together? That was the first time anyone did that to you?" Hermione asked as they sat in the oversized bath tub. Her foot was resting on Draco's chest and he was rubbing it gently.

"Correct. You have the honour of being the first." he gave her a smile, "I certainly wasn't expecting you to wake me up like that, and if you remember, I stopped you."

Hermione nodded slowly, remembering back to that night, and realising that, yes, he had stopped her, brushing it off by telling her he didn't want to finish like that, that he wanted to be inside her."Thank you for letting me," A small frown flickered across her face, "I don't understand though."

"Understand what?"

"How no one has wanted to do that to you," she smiled, "Have you seen you?"

Draco pinched her calf, "I have seen me and believe me, if I could do _that,_ I would."

Hermione flicked water at him, "Smart arse. I just mean...it doesn't matter I guess."

"Hey," he said caressing her calf, "Ask me anything. Please."

She tilted her head, "I'm just wondering why Astoria never."

"It wasn't that I hadn't _wanted_ _her to_. In fact, I fantasised about it quite often. But she was little more conservative. While she was more than happy to receive, she was somewhat reluctant to reciprocate."

"That doesn't seem fair," she pointed out, "Not that I'm complaining about your...talents. But turnabout is only fair."

Draco laughed, "Well, now I know what all the fuss is all about, I certainly agree with those sentiments. I mean really, you were amazing."

"You liked it then?" She asked, shifting her foot off his chest and sliding her toe along the inside of his thigh.

He grabbed her foot before it hit its intended target, grinning at her, "You certainly know what you're doing."

"As do you." She shifted in the water, sliding over him, her legs straddling his hips, her hands gripping the edge of the tub either side of his head, "I don't mind, you know. You coming in my mouth." She took in his face, recognising the effect her words had had on him.

"Yeah, but I do." he said. Her mouth on him was so much more than what he had imagined it would be. He was blissfully happy that is was she that did this for him. The way her mouth had moved over him; the way her dark eyes had bored into his while she worked her mouth over him had made his stomach flip. But that didn't change the fact he didn't want to come in her mouth. To prove his point, he slid hid hands around her hips and over the curve of her arse. She tensed and arched an eyebrow at him when his finger slipped between her cheeks, "You don't want me here, am I right?"

She smiled meekly and scraped her teeth over her bottom lip, "Do you want to?"

"It's not something I ever considered," he told her, "But I can tell it's not something you want either. And that's how I feel about your mouth."

She chewed on her lower lip, "Really?"

He nodded, "Hermione, as much as you want me to, that's how much I _don't_ want to. Is it really that weird that I don't want to?"

She shrugged a shoulder, "I just figured you would want to. Most guys do."

"And am I like most guys?"

She ran her thumb over his lips, "No," she said quietly, "You're definitely not."

He reached up and slipped his hand under her jaw to cup her face. She smiled at his touch, shifting her position over him to settle against his pelvis, sending shivers down his spine. He leaned in even closer and pressed his lips to hers, thinking that after the phenomenal sex they'd just had, that he could get hard again so quickly – she had sucked the life out of him, almost literally - but he found himself growing quickly aroused as he tasted the soft skin of her tongue.

She melted against him, searching out his mouth with her own tongue, her hands flying into his hair. "Have you ever done this before," she whispered in a soft, sultry voice, staring into his eyes, "Sex in the bath?"

Draco groaned, and his heart began beating wildly, "No," he managed and he felt himself twitch as she reached a hand between them, stroking him slowly. She surprised him by sliding over him, taking him instantly inside her.

She was still staring at him, her eyes full of lust, when he whimpered _Hermione_ and pulled her mouth to his. His thumb rubbed against the side of her face and he felt her sigh into his mouth as she moved slowly over him. The water splashed gently around them and she continued to rock her hips.

"Fuck…" He sighed, lost in the tight sensation of her, his fingers gently kneading her arse cheeks, "You're fucking amazing."

Hermione pulled away from his mouth, pressing her lips against the crook of his neck, leaving small bites. He moaned and she continued to bite and lick. His hands on her arse gripped tighter, and she moaned herself. She tightened her grip on the edge of the tub, a rough groan falling from her mouth. Her senses were alive, every nerve ending tingling with pleasure and she felt every ridge of his cock sliding against her sensitive walls as she continued to ride him.

"Draco," she tilted her head back and choked out a groan.

Draco gritted his teeth, the sight of his Hermione above him, riding him, almost had him exploding. Her skin was flushed, covered with a sheen of sweat, her breasts bouncing rhythmically with each thrust. Her inner muscles began to clench around him, pushing him to the edge of his climax.

"I cant...hold on." She panted, her body tensing above him.

"Come, Hermione. Let go. Come over me." Draco watched as her body stiffened and she choked out his name, her body shaking as her climax gripped her. He pulled her down to him, his own body shaking as came undone with her.

She lay her head on his shoulder and ran her hands through his hair, her heavy breaths were warm against his neck.

"Water's cold," Draco said making her laugh.

"You shouldn't have kept me in here so long."

Draco snorted, "Yeah, it's all my fault. Not that of the temptress sitting on me."

"Maybe tomorrow I can model that gift you gave me." She teased.

He groaned, "I'm not sure I'll survive this week."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I've been somewhat remiss in thanking you for sticking with this. It's progressing slower than I originally hoped, but my new job has left me with very little spare time. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, it's much appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey" Hermione's voice was full of sleep, "What time is it?"

"Hey," Draco said, and couldn't help but smile. Hermione looked adorable. She was wearing his t-shirt, her legs bare and her hair was a rumpled mess, "Just after eight."

She crossed the room to where he was standing at the kitchen counter, "You're making breakfast? How long have you been up?"

"Yes I'm making breakfast, I've been awake for a while." Draco laughed at the confused look on her face and kissed her cheek, "Maybe you should have woken up properly before coming out here."

"Maybe you should have coffee ready to wake me up when I come out here." She griped. He pushed a mug in front of her and silently poured the freshly brewed coffee into it, a smug grin on his face. "Fine," she huffed, "You're the most perfect man who ever walked the earth."

Draco arched an eyebrow at her, "You're cranky this morning. Is everything okay?"

She took a sip of coffee, sighing as the ambrosial liquid warmed her. She rolled her neck, wincing, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel...I don't know...funky."

He pressed his hand to her forehead, "Hmm, not a temperature, even though you're hot." She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Maybe you're exhausted. I mean, the most perfect man who ever walked the earth was in your bed last night, and everything that I hear makes me think he _was_ perfect." He grinned at the small smile that twitched on her lips, "But alas, I'm sure it's neither of those. You appear to have something that I like to call Missing Seven Year Old."

Hermione frowned at him, "What?"

"The first time he stayed with them for longer than one night, I felt the same." Draco explained brushing her hair behind her ear, "It took everything I had to not go and camp on their front lawn. But believe me, a week goes by quicker than you would think."

"I don't think it's that." She said.

"Oh, it is." Draco said tapping her on the nose, "That look on your face right now, I saw it on my own for the first week he was away from me. It's okay to miss him, you know?"

She was silent for a moment, staring straight at him and contemplating what he had just said. She never thought she would get the chance ever again to miss someone she cared about, miss someone for just a few fleeting days instead of a lifetime. But here she was, after less than twenty four hours, missing so terribly the cheeky blonde boy who had so recently come into her life and flipped it on its side. She stayed silent for a few more beats, and Draco could see the tension raising in her.

He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing her fingers lightly, "Listen to me. Long before we were anything you looked forward to seeing him in the shop, and you missed him on those rare times he didn't come in with me, am I right?" Hermione nodded and Draco continued, "You don't have to be his mother to miss him. You don't even have to be his father's girlfriend to miss him. He's an adorable seven year old, it's hard not to miss him." He grinned at her and placed his hand over her heart, "It will take some time, but each time he goes it gets a little easier, until it just becomes routine, okay?"

Hermione nodded, but she was still hesitant. The feeling of completely missing him felt too much like being a parent, being something that she wasn't. And she couldn't help but feel that the line she had drawn was becoming blurred, but she was still reluctant to step over it. It didn't matter that Draco was clearly comfortable with her being the female figure in his son's life, it didn't matter that Scorpius' grandparents had no hesitation in accepting her as the same. What mattered was that she was still coming to terms with it, with the possibility of her new role. Not that she didn't want to, she was more than willing, but it was still a big step.

Draco pulled her from her thoughts, cupping her face and kissing her just as her stomach gave a loud growl, making him laugh, "I guess I'm hungrier than I realised." She said, a twisted smile on her face.

"It's all that extra energy you expended last night." Draco said and she poked her finger into his bicep. He smirked and pointed at the barstool beside the counter, "Sit." He told her, "And let me feed you."

He'd set places at the counter; placemats, plates and glasses. She watched as her poured more coffee into her mug and filled her plate; French toast with strawberries, blueberries and vanilla yoghurt.

"I could get used to this." Hermione smiled at him and he raised an eyebrow, "You making breakfast for me. I like you in my kitchen."

Draco looked thoughtfully at her, "I like being in your kitchen," He sat beside her and looked around, "Much more space than mine. I mean really, it's like a Tardis in here."

She pinched his ribs, making him squirm, "Be serious."

"I am," He said, "Your flat is what? Double, possibly triple, the size of mine and two of us live there."

She popped a strawberry in her mouth, chewing slowly, contemplating how she should phrase her next statement, "Well, like I said, I could get used to you being here, cooking for me. And if it's space you want…."

"You're cranky _and_ cryptic this morning." Draco face was passive, not giving her anything, but his insides churning with what she was hinting at.

Hermione smiled and gave him a tiny shrug, knowing full well that he completely understood exactly what she was asking, regardless of the fact that he was playing it cool. "Well, that's something that's you'll just have to adjust to."

He squeezed her thigh, "And I'll happily adjust."

Her heart stuttered, _did he seriously just say he'd move in with her?_ She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and held back the smile. He was doing the same, only not trying to hide the smirk.

"Draco..?

"Eat your breakfast," He said, "It's too early to be serious. We can talk later."

Hermione bit her lip, pressing down on the smile that was forcing its way across her face. A picture of breakfast with him and Scorpius every day flashed through her mind. The smile broke free, and she looked away from him, lowering her head so he wouldn't see the delighted expression on her face.

He wanted to move into her flat, move in with her. Be with her. Her smile widened. _To hell with moving too fast._

* * *

"What's going on Scorp? Grandma says you want to come home?" Draco asked.

He'd called his son after breakfast, breakfast that was left with more than a few unanswered questions. He knew what she was hinting at and had wanted to say yes right there and then, but if she wanted him there _all_ the time, he'd have to discuss it with Scorpius. He was fairly certain of what his son's answer would be, and while technically she hadn't come out and asked them to move in, he wanted it as much as she did. He hadn't wanted as anything as much in so long, and he refused to over think it. Instead, he would go with his gut, and embrace the feeling of just how right it all felt. _To hell with moving too fast._

And he would talk to her about it, but the current conversation he needed to have with Scorpius had nothing to do with moving flats. He would deal with that when Scorp returned. Right now he needed to get his son to tell him what was going on.

 _"I do want to dad. I don't want to stay here. I want to be with you."_

"But why? You love being at Grandma and Grandpa's." There was silence on the other end of the phone. Draco waited a few seconds, "Come on Scorp. Tell me what's wrong."

" _Nothing's wrong. I just want to come home, that's all. Please Dad?"_

 _"_ I'll come and get you if that's what you want, but I don't believe for a minute that there's nothing wrong." He heard the frustrated huff of breath from his son but remained silent, waiting for him to decide what to tell him.

 _"_ _I don't want to be here, Dad. I'll miss every one, and James will be at Hermione's and he'll have no one to play with and I won't see you and Hermione and I'll miss out on everything!"_

Draco could hear the gasps of breaths through the phone, Scorpius was almost in tears, but Draco knew there was more to his outburst than him being concerned about missing out. He'd never cared at any other time, he had his grandparents to himself for the entire week, and they lavished attention on him. No, there was much more going on here. He had a fairly good idea of what it was, but Scorpius needed to tell him, to admit that he was scared Hermione wouldn't be here when he got back.

 _"Is Hermione there?"_ Scorpius asked in a small voice.

Draco smiled, "She is. Did you want to say hello?"

" _Yes_."

Draco handed his phone to Hermione who sitting beside him on the sofa, "He wants to talk to you."

"Hello Scorpius." She said.

" _Hermione!"_ Scorpius gasped _, "You're still there?_ "

"Of course I am," she said with a frown, "Where did you think I would be?"

 _"I don't know," he answered, "I just thought maybe..."_

Draco squeezed her thigh and she looked at him. He was smiling at her, and she suddenly realised what was wrong, "Scorpius," Hermione said gently, "I promise I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you get back."

" _Are you sure?"_

"I am," she told him, "You don't have to worry about me and your dad."

" _But last time when my other Grandma and Grandpa came over you and dad had a fight and you went away."_

"Oh, honey. That was different." Hermione explained, "Do you remember what happened when we had dinner with them"

" _Yes. There was lots of yelling._ "

"That's right," she winced, and looked up at Draco, "There was lots of yelling. But yesterday there was no yelling, right?" The look on Draco's face let her know that he was exactly aware of what his son was worried about.

" _No_. _Everyone was happy."_

"That's right, everyone was happy. So, there'll be no fighting between your dad and I this time." Hermione said before promising him again, "And I will be right here when you get back, okay?"

 _"Okay."_

 _"_ And you need to apologise to your grandma and grandpa. You were terribly rude to them." She glanced up at Draco, realising this was the first time she'd actually spoken to Scorpius like that.

They'd not yet set any boundaries when it came to parenting him. In fact they'd not even talked about it, other than her repeatedly making clear that she didn't wish to overstep when it came to him. However this felt very much like parenting, and while Harry and Ginny were happy for her to discipline James when he needed it, this was different. James was family, Scorpius wasn't, not yet anyway.

But Draco was simply smiling at her, not seeming to care at all that she was telling his son to apologise. In fact his smile was telling her that not only did he not care, but that he was pleased that she was.

 _"I will,"_ Scorpius said, _"And Hermione?"_

 _"_ Yes Scorpius? _"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry to you to."_

"Thank you," Hermione told him, "Do you still want your dad to come and get you?"

" _No, I think I'll be okay. Can you call me tomorrow, and the next day after that?"_

"Of course we will. You haven't even been gone a day and we already miss your voice."

He laughed _, "Here Grandma, you can talk to Hermione."_

Hermione looked at Draco and shook her head, smiling at the fact that she'd effectively been dismissed.

" _Hermione?"_ Clara sounded confused. Hermione assumed she thought she would be speaking to Draco not her.

"Hello Clara," Hermione said, "I think we've sorted out the problem."

" _I only heard half of that, but I think I can guess what it was about."_

"He was worried about me not being here when he got back. Draco and I had...a disagreement... after dinner with his parents and Scorpius was worried it would happen again. I'm sorry for this."

" _We thought it was something like that,"_ Clara said, _"And this is not your fault."_

"No, it is," Hermione told her, "I acted irrationally at the time and Scorpius believed it had been his fault. He was upset and it was entirely my fault. I was the spoiled seven year old and I'm lucky they both stuck around. It's been a bit of an adjustment for me having them both around."

Clara laughed, " _Oh, sweetheart. It's an adjustment for everybody, but I'm sure everything will be fine_. _Cuthbert and I both love you, by the way."_

Hermione's face flushed and she answered quietly, "Thank you Clara."

" _And now I've embarrassed you_ ," Clara laughed, " _Sorry Hermione, but it's true_. _We couldn't have hoped for someone better to be in his life_."

"Well, I think I may have fallen slightly in love with you both too," Hermione told her, "We'll call him tomorrow?"

" _Perfect_ ," Clara said.

Draco's hand was resting on her knee when she pressed end on the phone. She looked up at him and gave him a nervous smile. "You're not mad at me?"

"Um, no," he said looking perplexed. "Why would I be?"

"Because I spoke to him like that."

"Like what?"

"I told him to apologise to his grandparents." She wanted to add a childish _du-uh_ , but thought better of it. He was probably pissed at her already.

But he just laughed and squeezed her knee, "If you hadn't told him to, I would have."

She let out a frustrated sigh, "But you're his father and I'm-" she stopped short at the look of annoyance that flashed across his face. She watched as he slowly moved his hand from her knee and stood. He folded his arms across his chest and stared down at her.

"When is this going to stop?" He asked quietly. He glanced at his watch, "Not an hour ago you were virtually asking me to move in here, and now you're panicking over telling Scorpius to apologise for being a brat? When we do move in here and you're alone with him, will you just let him act up because you're too scared to reprimand him? And don't say you're not his mother. I know that you're not, everyone knows. But quite frankly, I don't want to hear you say it again, because if we're seriously doing this, that's what you will be."

Hermione surprised him. She moved to stand in front of him, gently freeing his arms from his chest. She curled her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him.

Instinctively his arms surrounded her, but he remained silent, not exactly sure what was happening. He'd assumed she'd argue back, tell him for the millionth time that she wasn't Scorpius' mother and they'd go around in circles yet again over her ridiculous notion that everyone would hate her for appearing to take Astoria's place.

"You said _when_ ," she whispered still hugging him tightly.

"Did I?"

Hermione pulled back and looked up at him, "You said, _when we move in_ ,"

Draco's brows pulled together, before his eyes widened in surprise, "I did, didn't I?"

"It's not too soon?"

"It's not soon enough," Draco said, "Scorp needs to decide on this as well." He cupped her face, "But I'm sure I know what his answer will be."

"So we're doing this then?" Hermione asked, a slight hesitation in her voice.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her, "We're doing this. Are _you_ sure you want us both here?"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. It was exactly what she wanted. It all felt...right. She opened her eyes, and he was watching her. She slid her arms around his neck, "Yes." She told him, "I want you both here."

* * *

Draco stopped in the doorway, completely stunned by the vision before him. Hermione had made good on her promise to wear his Christmas gift, and was reclined on the bed, stretched out like the goddess her name suggested.

"Hey there," she said, "Do you like your surprise?"

Draco cleared his throat, "Oh, very much," he crossed the room, brushed his fingertips across the swell of her breast and kissed her, "But I have my own surprise...Pansy and Theo are here."

He had returned to his flat to pick up more clothes, smiling all the while at the fact that they may not ever return to his closet. He had run into Pansy and Theo when he stopped to get Thai food to bring back for dinner, deciding that he wouldn't be cooking tonight, and had happily invited them back. He actually missed the friendly banter he and Pansy shared on a daily basis when he stopped for coffee, but since the shop was closed for the week, his morning coffee had been enjoyed on the sofa with Hermione.

Her eyes went wide in shock, "What?" she hissed.

Draco grimaced and shrugged his shoulders, "I ran into them on the way back. We decided to stop for take-out and brought it back here. I had no idea you would look like this when I got back."

" _Fuck_ ," Hermione muttered and scrambled off the bed, cursing again and telling Draco _don't laugh_ when she saw the amused grin forming on his face.

"I'm not laughing," He said admiring the view as she retreated into her closet and regretting the decision to invite Pansy and Theo back.

She emerged several minutes later dressed in jeans and a thick woollen jumper, and his disappointment was all over his face. She pointed a finger at him, "No, you don't get to make that face. You did this. So you can just sit out there and imagine what's under here." She waved her hand in a flourish across her torso and he groaned.

"Maybe I can just ask them to leave." He said and Hermione laughed.

"Oh, Pansy won't be at all suspicious of that. And since we've been in here forever, she'll think we've had a quickie anyway." Hermione pointed out as she headed for the door, "Come on, apparently dinner's ready."

"I hope we're not interrupting anything," Pansy said with a grin as Hermione entered the living room. Pansy and Theo had commandeered the coffee table and it was now laden with Thai take-out containers.

"Oh, you are," Hermione told her, flopping down onto the sofa, "But he can wait."

"Which one was it?" Pansy asked.

"La Perla. Brand new. Stunning really," She said with a sly glance at Draco, "He has excellent taste. Too bad it will be hours before he gets to enjoy it."

Theo was watching the two women with a confused look plastered across his face. "I'm missing something here." Theo said turning to Draco, "But I think you're missing more than me."

"I'm suddenly regretting running into you both." Draco scowled.

Theo clapped him on the shoulder, "Well, it's a good thing we brought more food than absolutely necessary. I think you're gonna need some stamina to keep up with this one tonight."

A knowing smirk crossed Draco's face and Hermione shot him a glare, but he ignored it moving to sit across from her in the oversized armchair. He smirked at her, "Oh, this one's spent the day recovering from her phenomenal efforts last night. I'm still not sure if she's adequately rested, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Theo looked at him, eyes wide with surprise. "Jesus, _fuck!_ Maybe we _should_ leave Pans, let them enjoy their week without Scorp."

Pansy shrugged and began piling food onto her plate, "Nah, we'll give them a breather for a few hours. Let the tension build back up before the shagfest continues"

Hermione punched her shoulder, "It hasn't been a shagfest."

Pansy glanced up at Draco, who winked at her and nodded. Pansy laughed, "Anyway. Shagfest aside, Seamus' for New Years?"

Hermione looked to Draco before responding, making Theo snigger, "This couples shit is highly amusing. Two months ago you would have answered yes, and started drinking yesterday."

She poked her tongue out at him, "And you're even given a choice?" She looked pointedly at Pansy.

"I simply do what I'm told, and reap the rewards."

"Is it possible to have a conversation without it falling into the gutter?" Hermione asked.

Theo shook his head, "No." he told her and they all laughed.

"Yes," Draco said, "Seamus' will be fine. I'm happy to be wherever you are." He smiled at Hermione.

"Gag," Pansy groaned through a mouthful of noodles.

" _Wherever_ I am, huh? That sounds permanent." Hermione gave him a look that had Pansy and Theo sharing their own glance, but neither made a comment.

"Are Harry and Ginny sorted?" Hermione asked and Pansy nodded.

"And we're trying to convince Ron and Susan and Charlie and Hanna to come as well."

"Charlie and Hanna?" Draco asked scooping up a forkful of pineapple rice.

"Ginny and Ron's older brother." Theo told him, "You met Ron, he's a little quiet and reserved. Charlie, however, is a little wild. Has she introduced you to her run playlist?" Draco shook his head and told him that _no_ , _she hadn't_ , "Well, have her let you listen to it, and you'll get a small glimpse of Charlie. Hanna is his wife. She has calmed him somewhat, but she'll never change him completely."

"She better not," Hermione said, "Charlie's awesome the way he is."

"Should I be worried?" Draco asked, pausing mid bite.

Pansy sniggered, "We all thought the two of them would end up together, but it turns out that they're most definitely not compatible."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Pansy and turned to Draco, "This was a magical fantasy they all had, me and Charlie running off into the sunset, happily ever after and all that. But all that happened between me and Charlie was him being my friend. Unlike these bastards who would regularly kick my arse, he was the voice of reason after my parents died, and he was the one who introduced me to Heavy Metal and Hard Core Punk as a way to clear my head. And I loved it, still do. Nothing ever happened between us. He was already engaged to Hanna. He was, and is, like an older brother I never had."

"And why were you not compatible?" Draco asked.

"They argued like an old married couple. Neither would back down and we all fled in fear of our lives when it got really heated." Theo said and then shrugged, "Had they ended up together, one of them would have been dead in the first year"

Draco looked at Hermione, who had a mixed look of annoyance and amusement of her face. "Should I be worried?" he repeated, this time with a smirk on his face.

"Only about the big brother lecture you'll surely get from him,'" she told him, "Besides, I think you've already seen the worst of me."

Pansy laughed and Hermione glared at her, "What? You think that little tantrum you had was the worst you've ever been?"

Hermione's eyes flicked to Draco, who looked amused, "Am I still required to make a good impression? Or are we past that?" She asked him.

He shook his head and winked at her, "I've seen enough of you to know that I'm impressed."

Theo reached over and slapped him on the shoulder, "Welcome to the gutter, my friend."

* * *

Hours later, Hermione lay with her head cushioned against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart beneath her ear and feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out. Her hand was on his belly, her fingers absently drawing circles over his warm skin.

The quietness of the room was stark compared to the raucous dinner with Pansy and Theo, the pair keeping Draco in fits of laughter at Hermione's childhood and teenage antics. She hadn't minded though. She was happy to share all her hideous teen moments with him after Clara and Cuthbert had regaled her with his. And if they suspected something else was going on between them – tiny hints and suggestions had been dropped all night at the possibility that Draco and Scorpius might be moving in - neither friend said a word.

He had taken his time, when their friends had finally left, undressing her slowly, grinning like an idiot at the vision underneath, breathing something about _finally_ and _stunning_ and _oh, fuck!_ He'd been slow, loving her quietly, the full weight of his body covering her completely, murmuring over and over against her ear just how much he loved her. How he would always love her. Their bodies had slid easily across each other, quiet moans and gasped breaths were all they were capable of, until finally they both came, each moaning the others name. It had been nothing like she was used to with him **.** Her eyes had filled with tears, and she had held him close while he continued to whisper his love for her, kissing away each tear as they rolled down her cheeks.

And now she was smiling to herself, imagining this every day. Every morning and every night. In bed this with him. She expected to feel panicked, alarmed at the suddenness of it, at the lingering fear left over from Oliver. But she felt nothing. Nothing but the joyful anticipation of he and Scorpius being here with her.

Draco was silent beside her, but he wasn't asleep. His hand was in her hair, his fingers mimicking hers, tracing circles behind her ear, raising goose bumps over her skin. He pressed his lips to her head, and she sighed, turning her nose to him, breathing him in. His scent was instantly familiar; sandalwood soap and expensive cologne.

She pressed harder into his side, and his arm tightened around her.

"You alright?" He asked, his voice was sleepy, but still aware.

Hermione nodded and murmured a _yes_ against his chest. She flattened her hand against his stomach, sliding it across his ribs to hug him closer.

His fingers in her hair slowly moved, slipping down her back and into the curve of her spine. His chin pressed into the top of her head, a heavy sigh sounding in the quiet.

She shifted to look up at him and she found him smiling at her, the infectious smile that had her insides churning every time she saw it. She leaned up on one elbow, kissing him slowly, lingering against his mouth. His hand found its way back to her hair, his nails scratching gently against her scalp. He relaxed beneath her, pulling her with him, a soft sound humming from the back of his throat.

She slid her hand down the top of his thigh, drawing a groan from him. Her forehead pressed to his as he exhaled a shaky breath. She licked her lips, exhaling her own breathless sigh. She wanted him again, then and there, but his eyes were heavy, almost closed, and he had settled deeper into the mattress, pulling her closer and circling his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head back on his chest, hearing the steady beat again.

"Hermione?" his voice was deep and raspy.

"Mm," she murmured.

"I'm not asleep."

Hermione chuckled, skating her hand back down his stomach. He was warm and smooth, his muscles bunching with the feather-light touch of her fingertips. She pushed up onto her elbow again, watching his reactions to her touch. She wandered lower, and he murmured his approval.

He was half-hard already, and she murmured her own approval.

She traced the length of him, watching as he grew harder, his cock twitching and lifting off his thigh. He sighed as her hand gripped him, drawing up and down, slowly, lazily, and his own hand traced along her spine again.

Hermione leaned down and kissed the place over his heart, her body heating and a low throb pulled deep inside her. Her hand continued to move over him, her pace still slow, stroking him in long firm strokes, his breathing becoming deeper. She teased her thumb across the head of him and then grasped him lightly, dragging his foreskin gently down and back up again and listening to the whimpers and moans she was pulling from him.

"Hermione," he managed to gasp out as his hand moved to cover hers. He gripped tightly, moving her hand faster over him and she nodded, understanding what he wanted.

She caressed his length, her hand gliding down to the base of him then gripped him more firmly. She bit her teeth into her bottom lip, smiling at him before fisting up and down, faster and faster, until he gripped her wrist yanking her hand away.

She gasped in surprise as he lifted her over him, her legs splaying wide over him, his hand on her hip slid down to rub his thumb across her clit. She leaned forward, meeting his mouth, kissing him with hot, wet kisses, his hands slipping to her arse, gripping tightly and shifting her so his length it was pressing against her. She guided herself down, her thighs spreading wider as she lowered herself onto him, feeling him filling her.

Draco gripped her hips, steadying her as she closed her eyes and exhaled. He slowly dragged his hands up her ribs, across her stomach and back down her thighs, and she began to move slowly, sliding up and down his length. She watched his face, smiling down at him, stopping just at the tip of him. He growled in frustration, gripping her hips, attempting to force her down onto him. She shot him a sinful look, and slowly lowered herself back down. He glanced down to watch her take the entire length of him inside her.

"Shit," he murmured.

"Too much?"

"No." He closed his eyes. "More."

She rolled her hips over him moving slowly, building a rhythm of slow, seductive circles causing his breath to catch. She closed her eyes, and her other senses came to life. The sound of his breath, the scent of him, the feel of him hard and strong inside her. She tilted her head back and let out a breathy sigh.

Draco groaned from beneath her, _Fuck, she felt even tighter like this._ He opened his eyes to watch her move above him. His hands held her hips, his thumbs drawing tiny circles as her hands gripped his wrists.

She pivoted her hips, picking up the pace, eliciting a groan from his deep within his throat, a sound that made her smile, a sound that she knew she'd never tire of hearing. She did it again, and again, moving faster and faster, her thighs burning as she rode him. His thumb moved furiously against her clit, circling quickly and pressing hard. A strangled cry escaped her, as her body gripped the thick length of him. A familiar knot pulled in her stomach, the intensity building. She loved that he was able to make her this tense, this vulnerable. And yet, she never felt more alive than when they were together like this. That he could make her this wet never ceased to amaze her, his cock buried deep inside her striping her bare, yet giving himself completely to her at the same time.

 _Oh Fuck!_ She thought, _Oh fuck!_ Her orgasm ripped through her, her spine stiffening, her voice an incoherent mess of curses and pleas as she felt forward, her hands bracing on his chest.

Draco's hands gripped harder at her hips, steadying her before pounding up into her. She grappled for the headboard anchoring herself as he thrust again and again, hard and fast, another strangled cry escaping her as she came again. Draco cried out, burying himself deep inside her, Hermione watching as his face screwed up into a picture of ecstasy, and she gasped as she felt him spill inside her. He trembled beneath her, his entire body shuddering, her name falling from his lips in a quiet whisper.

She bent to kiss him, panting and gasping for air. His palms rubbed along her thighs, her arse, up her back until he was circling her shoulders pressing their sweat soaked skin together.

"Every day," he whispered and she murmured incoherently into his neck, "Every fucking day."

She lifted off him, curling into his side, "Every day?" she questioned sleepily.

He kissed the top of her head, "I'll be here every day. Every night. In this bed. And I get to do that with you."

She closed her eyes, luxuriating in him, the scent of him different. He was covered with sex and sweat and her. She smiled against his chest, the sweat on his skin drying, cooling him. Her thighs were covered in him and his heart resumed its steady beat beneath her ear. She placed her hand on his chest, "Every day," she murmured, "I get to love you every day."

Hermione relaxed into him, her eyes heavy with sleep and smiling at the echoed _I love you too._

She fell asleep with the contented feeling of not needing anything, of not wanting anything, of him simply being enough.


	16. Chapter 16

Draco was waiting.

His foot was tapping rhythmically against the leg of the coffee table. It wasn't an impatient tapping, more of a borderline nervous tapping. It was ridiculous, he told himself, there was no reason for him to be like this, none at all. He knew her friends, knew that they liked him, but now it was her turn.

And she should have been the nervous one, not him. But she wasn't. Not at all. In fact she was looking forward to meeting his friend.

His best mate from boarding school had called two days earlier and had invited himself to join in their New Year's celebrations. And Blaise Zabini, the one person who knew him better than anyone, would be here in a matter of minutes.

They'd been friends since they were eleven years old, roomed together randomly in their first year and roomed together at their own insistence from then on. And it wasn't until their university days that they were separated for the first time. While he was off studying to be a teacher, Blaise was studying art and art history. They were at two different universities, but that didn't mean weekends in pubs had to change.

And now he was on his way to meet her. To meet the new woman in his life. The woman who had been an unexpected breath of fresh air, the woman who he simply just fit with, the woman who simply fit with him.

He knew there was no need for him to be nervous. He knew that the two of them would hit it off; Blaise had a habit of making himself welcome wherever he went. Besides his parents, he had yet to find anyone who disliked him. But regardless of all that, the nerves were swirling low in his belly, and he knew why. She was the first woman since Astoria – the _only_ woman since Astoria - and introducing her to Blaise was a big deal.

Blaise was his family. Regardless of the fact that his parents thought him a bad influence, thought that his interest in art was a complete waste of time, (they were wildly incorrect on that, he'd amassed a small fortune that even Lucius would be impressed with, in just a few years buying and selling art), Blaise had been the one who had been with him through everything. He'd had been as excited as Draco when he found out about Scorpius; had been by his side through Astoria's death and had moved in with him to help with Scorp when the realisation of being a single dad had hit him. Blaise had essentially pulled him back together when no one else had been able to.

"Hey," Hermione said when she finally emerged from the bedroom, "Are you still being weird?"

He looked up at her and was surprised. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't this. She was wearing jeans and heavy boots, a knitted jumper and she was pulling a beanie over her head. She had tossed her winter coat over the back of a chair.

She grinned at him flopping down beside him, "Not what you were expecting?"

He laughed, "Maybe not."

"It's freaking cold out there and I'm not walking around half naked just to please you."

"And I wouldn't expect you to." He told her, leaning in to kiss her, running his hand along her thigh,"I'll happily unwrap this ensemble later in the evening."

"Isn't Blaise staying with us?" Hermione asked, "If you unwrap me like you usually do, he might hear things he doesn't want to."

Draco laughed, "Well, the thing about Blaise is that he might not be staying here alone either." Hermione raised an eyebrow, "He likes to...um..."

"Bring lady friends for a sleepover?" Hermione suggested.

"Yes, thank you." Draco said with a laugh, "I hope you're okay with that."

"As long it's not Lavender, I don't care." She shrugged, "We're all grownups here."

"Ah, yes. Lavender." Draco mused, "I've already warned him about her."

There was a loud knock on the door, and Draco jumped. Hermione touched his arm, "Hey, I'm meeting _your_ friend; I'm the one who should be nervous."

He squeezed her knee, pushing himself to stand, "Well, that's where you're wrong. This man has been riding my arse since we were kids. My parents hate him," he grinned at her, "Apparently he was a bad influence on me."

"I like him already," Hermione said to his retreating back. She listened as he opened the door, the two friends greeting each other in the way life-long friends always did – swearing and insulting each other. She smiled, Blaise's voice was deep and pleasant with a soothing timbre that had her instantly knowing why Draco said he never went home alone. That voice would have women tripping all over themselves.

She smiled as they returned to the living area, "Hi."

"Well, hello there. He said you were gorgeous, he was way off. You're stunning," Blaise said, dropping his duffel bag at his feet and pulling her into a warm embrace, "It's nice to finally meet you."

Hermione laughed, her cheeks heating at the compliment, and pulled back, "It's good to meet you too. Although, I'm not sure stunning and 'wearing a beanie' go together. " She looked at Draco who was smiling at them.

"Hermione Granger, this is Blaise Zabini. He likes to think he's my friend, but he's basically an all-round pain in my arse."

Blaise slung his arm around her shoulders, "Please tell me gorgeous, what it is you see in my boy here. I just don't get the attraction."

"Clearly you've not ever seen him naked."

Blaise choked and Draco laughed, "There's my girl."

"I like this one," Blaise said, looking at Hermione with something akin to awe.

"I said you would, did I not?" Draco asked picking up Hermione's coat and handing it to her. He kissed her, "Well, played."

"Did you expect anything less?" Hermione said kissing him back. She shrugged into her coat and looked at Blaise, who was watching the pair with interest, "Draco tells me you're quite the ladies man."

"Does he now?" Blaise said with amusement, "He might be right. Had you met me in a bar before he did...well, who knows?"

Hermione stepped closer to him and ran a finger down his chest, "Oh darling, I'm sorry to tell you, but you're just not my type."

Blaise laughed and kissed her forehead, "Sucker for blondes, huh?"

"Only the beautiful ones," She winked at Draco, "Now ladies man, there are some rules. You can bring whomever you like back here except anyone named Lavender. If you do bring someone named Lavender back here, I will rip your balls off and shove them down your throat. You can be as loud as you want, but you can't complain if we're louder. And don't leave before breakfast. That would be rude, and I want to hear all about this one from his school days."

Blaise was staring at her hardly believing what she was saying. He looked at Draco, "Where ever did you find her?"

"Downstairs." He said matter-of-factly, pulling his own coat on. "And my advice to you is don't test her, she's serious."

Blaise held up his hands in surrender, "I wouldn't dare."

* * *

A rush of noise hit them as they open the large door that lead into _The Second Salt._ Despite the freezing temperatures,they'd walked the four blocks from Hermione's flat, knowing full well that the walk back home would more likely be a stagger. She'd laughed at the two men, who were talking and laughing at each other in a manner that reminded her of Scorpius and James: it appeared that they were speaking in a whole other language, one that no one outside their friendship bubble would understand.

Hermione saw the smile that crawled across Blaise's face as they passed through the doors, uncertain if it was the warm familiarly of Seamus' pub, or at the possibilities that it brought, and she wondered just how the single women in the pub would react to this beautiful stranger.

And he was beautiful. There was no doubt about it. Tall and broad, with flawless skin the colour of fine milk chocolate. His smile was wide and welcoming, and his mischievous eyes twinkled even in the low light of the pub. And he carried himself with a confidence that had the air of surety, but not arrogance. And he walked with a lithe grace that she likened to floating.

Oh, the single ladies would be all over him. This would be highly entertaining.

"Is the entire town here tonight?" Draco asked. They had frequented the pub on several occasions and he'd never seen this many people in there.

"Possibly," Hermione told him, pulling her coat off and leading them both towards the bar. She handed it over to Seamus, who leaned over the bar and kissed her cheek.

"You got two on the go now?" he asked over the din and shoving her jacket under the bar.

"Who says it's just two?" She winked at him and he laughed.

"You want _Tea_?"

She nodded and ordered whiskey for Draco, "Blaise?"

"Why would you be drinking tea on New Year's eve?" he asked.

She and Draco shared a look, and Draco grinned, "Get him one."

Seamus placed their drinks in front of them, and Blaise picked his up looking sceptical. Hermione tapped her glass to his, "Good luck."

Blaise lifted the glass to his mouth and winced as the scent hit his nose. "What the hell is in this?"

"It's just tea," Hermione said with a sweet smile, taking a mouthful of her own drink and swallowing it without a wince.

Blaise hesitated, narrowing his eyes at Hermione. She gave him a wide eyed grin, challenging him, "Fine," he huffed and took a swallow. He coughed and spluttered, covering his mouth with his hand and handing the half full glass back to her, conceding defeat. "Fuck! How are you even drinking that?"

"It's a gift," she said with a smirk, and Draco slid his arm around her waist.

"Blaise Zabini, I never thought I'd see the day," Draco shook his head in mock disappointment of his friend.

Blaise leaned on the bar, signalling Seamus and ordering a vodka. He looked at Hermione, "You have officially become my new hero."

"Get in line my friend," came a voice from behind them, "She pretty high on everyone's list."

"Charlie!" Hermione cried slipping from Draco's arm and engulfing him, "Where's Hannah?"

"Hey firecracker," he said hugging her back, "She's home with mum. Actually she's home with James."

"Getting in some practice?" Hermione asked. Hannah and Charlie were expecting their first child, announcing their news the week before at the Weasley family Christmas.

"Something like that, but I certainly hope she doesn't give birth to a ready-made seven year old." He said before noting, "You look happy."

She smiled up at him, "It's the alcohol."

"Yeah, right," he laughed, "Nothing at all to do with the good looking blonde bloke that's here with you?"

Hermione turned back to Draco, and introduced the three men. They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before Charlie narrowed his eyes at Draco.

"You're the boyfriend?" he asked, "You're looking out for her?"

"Yes to both," Draco said and Charlie clapped him on the shoulder.

"Glad to hear it."

Hermione held her palms up, "That's it? That's the big brother lecture? That was pathetic."

Charlie shrugged, "You're way scarier than me, so yeah, that's the big lecture."

"You disappoint me, Charlie Weasley," Theo said from behind them as he and Pansy joined the group, "Hermione's right, that _was_ pathetic."

"What's with all the gorgeous women in this town?" Blaise said looking directly at Pansy.

"Oh, you're smooth. I 'm assuming you're Blaise?" She said and he answered in the affirmative. "I'm Pansy, this is Theo _. My husband_."

Blaise flashed a wide grin at her, "Just making an observation, my dear."

Ginny and Harry chose that moment to join them and Blaise gave a hooting laugh, "Oh, this is far too much fun. The blonde, the brunette and the red head in a pub, it's like a brilliant joke come to life."

"Hey!" Hermione said, poking him in the arm, "I'm not blonde." She pressed her head against Pansy's, "We're practically the same colour."

Blaise squinted as if studying them, "Nope, at least two shades lighter. You're definitely the blonde."

She pushed up on her toes and pressed her head against Draco's, "He's the blonde." She said waving a finger between the two indicating the difference.

"Ah, but he's not part of the 'three women walk into a bar' joke." Blaise countered and then added, "Besides, what's the issue with being blonde? I hear they have all the fun."

Hermione slipped her arm around Draco's waist and twisted her mouth into a sly grin, "You heard right. This blonde has had more fun in the last few weeks than he's had in his entire life."

* * *

An hour later Hermione was sitting at the bar, a warm buzz settling through her. Seamus had reminded her she was up to water and she was enjoying a tiny moment of solitude, sipping slowly and watching as Pansy and Ginny wiped the pool table with the guys. She smiled as Blaise approached her. It was the first time she'd been on her own all night, and she assumed he had decided that the time had come to interrogate her.

"He fits in well with you all." Blaise noted sitting beside her and ordering two more drinks from Seamus.

"He does, Scorpius too." She replied with a smile and took the drink he handed to her. She tipped the glass towards him, "He also said that you were a bad influence."

"He lies," Blaise told her, "Besides, that should be a breeze after what you've been putting away **."**

She turned to face him, "Is this the part where you've finally got me alone so you can lecture me about taking care of your boy?"

"I don't think I need to," He said, "I think you're taking pretty good care of him already."

Hermione arched an eyebrow, "What exactly has he been telling you?"

Blaise laughed, "No, nothing like that. He wouldn't tell me anything like _that_. He never has. I just meant he's happy. And he hasn't been this happy in quite a long time."

Hermione looked over to where Draco was laughing with Charlie, the two men discovering that they had more in common than anyone would have thought. The contrast was startling: clean-cut, neat as a pin Draco, and tattooed, grungy Charlie, they made quite the interesting pair.

But if Charlie was removed from the setting, Draco would still stand out in the room. Even in this casual setting, he turned heads, regardless of the fact that he had been in town now for months. Of course he was attractive, and everyone had referenced his platinum hair at some stage over the course of the last few months, she herself had often run her fingers through it with something akin to worship – she _was_ a sucker for blondes. But it was more than that. _He_ was more than that. More than just a beautiful blonde, he was... _fuck!_ He was everything. Smart and funny, serious and intense, phenomenal in bed. Everything.

She hadn't drifted towards him because she had an empty space in her life, she had – contrary to what her friends thought – been content. Her success had given her a sense of pride and that pride had allowed her to hold her head high. She had worked hard to build her business, and with that hard work she had become _the bookshop girl,_ instead of the _poor, sad girl with the dead parents_ that she had been known as for far too long.

She _had_ drifted towards him because of simple attraction. And the fact that he had walked into her life at the right time. The right time being that she had everything she wanted and was no longer wallowing in her own misery. She had been happy and content, and unknown to everyone, tinkering with the idea of dating again. And all of a sudden there he had been, walking into her life, bringing with him the possibilities that she had given up on.

Draco glanced over and saw her and Blaise sitting together and smiled, and she didn't even try to hide her own smile that the swell of pride at Blaise's comment regarding his happiness had caused.

Blaise gently tapped her knee pulling her attention back to him, "And I've _never_ seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. Not even Scorp's mum."

Hermione's eyes went wide, and she shook her head, "I don't think that's true. He was completely in love with her."

"I've known him since he was eleven. We were roommates for years, and I was as good of friends with her as with him. I know that he loved her, but it's so much more than that with you. He not only loves you, but he completely adores you. Is besotted even. I saw it in him the minute I first heard him talk about you.

"And I look around this pub and I see the way everyone is watching you both. It's like they're invested in you, like they'll rip him in two if he wrongs you in any way. But I know him, and I know that will never happen, because I know that he's all in. Whatever the two of you have, he wants it. All of it. And I see the way _you_ look at _him_ , and I know he's in good hands."

"Did you just give me your approval?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

"Someone has to," he replied, "Lucius and Narcissa never will."

"Do they actually approve of anyone in his life?"

"Scorpius. Although they were disgusted that they got pregnant without being married. They tried to force the issue, but I'm sure he's explained that to you?" Hermione nodded and he shrugged, "And I guess Astoria. But I think that was only because her parents are filthy rich. Richer than them. And I think all Lucius saw was the potential to make more money for himself with Bert. But Bert was well aware of exactly what Lucius was after, that being a foot in the door with Bert, but he told Lucius in no uncertain terms that business and family don't mix, and then they were kind of stuck somewhere between having to like her because they'd put on a show of doing so, and wanting to hate her because Bert had refused them.

"And of course, they can't stand me. Draco was tagged to take over the family business, but that wasn't for him, he had no interest whatsoever, and when he made the decision to teach, I was blamed and essentially banned from their home."

Hermione shook her head in disgust. Draco had touched on both his and Astoria's parents, but had not gone into so much detail. And after dinner with them, the subject of his parents had rarely come up. "Well, at least we have that in common."

"What's that?" Blaise asked with a knowing smirk, "Their hatred? Their wrath? Their complete mistrust?"

Hermione laughed, "All of the above, my friend."

"Then let me give you this one piece of advice," Blaise leaned in conspiratorially, "He sees them three, maybe four times a year. So make sure you're busy on those days."

"I would never do that to him." She said, slightly horrified that Blaise would even suggest it, "I can be civil when the need calls for it."

"Civil?" Blaise looked at her in surprise, "That's not how I heard it."

She rolled her eyes, "I know I wasn't my usual delightful self, but they ambushed me. I wasn't prepared for them, but next time I will be. I will be so sickeningly sweet to them, they'll have cavities."

"Oh please invite me for that," Blaise laughed and then squeezed her knee, "Do you know how impressed he was with you that night?"

"Not very," Hermione said, obviously Draco had spoken to him about what had happened. And she assumed Blaise knew all about their fight.

"That's where you're wrong," Blaise said, "He was pissed that it got as bad as it did, and he was...annoyed... with you, but he was astounded that you held your own with them, that you didn't just sit there and let them insult you. No one has ever done that."

"Well, I'm not sure it earned me any brownie points," she said.

"Maybe not with them, but it certainly did with him." Blaise nodded towards Draco who was headed towards them.

"What are you two chatting about?" Draco asked as he approached them.

"Your tiny dick," Blaise told him without missing a beat, turning to signal Seamus for another round.

"Get yours out Zabini, and we'll see the true definition of tiny."

Hermione grinned at Draco, "Do you two always act like twelve year olds?"

"He started it," Draco said with an answering grin and Hermione laughed.

"I guess that's a yes then?"

Draco took the glass that Blaise handed him and nodded, "What nonsense has he been telling you?"

"I've told her nothing but the truth." Blaise said indignantly.

"And you've never _ever_ let the truth get in the way of a good story," Draco drawled and leaned his hip against Hermione's knee. She shifted slightly and reached out, hooking her finger through the belt loop on his jeans and pulling him towards her. He stepped between her legs and tipped her chin up to look at him, "Please don't believe a word he says."

"But he was telling me how amazing you are," she said with an exaggerated pout, "Is it not true?"

He leaned down and kissed her pouted lips and murmured, "You _know_ how amazing I am."

"He may have said something about arrogant as well," she sniggered staring up at him.

Draco kissed her again, "Did I mention that he's a pathological liar?"

Blaise was watching them with rapt interest. The tiny interactions he had witnessed between the two since he'd arrived meant his best mate would be getting the third degree from him before he made the return trip to London. Draco was so in love with this girl and Blaise had been right, he'd not seen him like this, not even with Astoria.

"Stop staring," Hermione said and Draco laughed.

Blaise blinked and swallowed, realising she meant him. "Sorry, but you both just look rather adorable." He said mockingly, "It's hard not to stare."

"No one else is staring at us, you perve." Draco told him.

"Yeah, you keep believing that ," Blaise stood from his seat, noticing that Harry and Theo were motioning for him to join them, apparently he was up at the pool table. "I'll leave you two love birds alone before I vomit from all the sweetness."

"Arsehole." Draco called as he walked away.

Blaise flipped his middle finger over his shoulder and they both laughed.

"I like him," Hermione said.

Draco cupped her jaw and brushed his thumb across her cheek, "He wasn't too much of an arse, was he?" He looked mildly concerned.

"No," Hermione assured him, "He was actually very complimentary. He's a good friend."

Draco brushed her hair behind her ear, "He is. But please don't tell him, his ego is big enough."

* * *

"You like this girl?" Blaise said and Draco noted the caution in his voice. Blaise was never cautious.

"I do," Draco replied feeling defensive, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, not at all." He paused, "It's just that it's been a while mate."

"And?"

"And, I just wonder if, um...you're moving a little too fast."

 _What the hell was this? What the hell did he say to her at the bar? What did_ she _say to him?_ Draco balled his hand into a fist and tapped it against his thigh, "No," he said trying unsuccessfully to keep his voice calm, "You've spent half the night talking to her and you can't see it? You can't see how amazing she is?"

A sly grin crept across Blaise's face and he gripped Draco's shoulder, "Just checking."

Draco glared at him and unclenched his fist, relief washing over him. "Fuck you, arsehole."

"Gotcha though. " Blaise laughed, "Come on mate, she's fucking perfect. Do you think I'm so stupid I wouldn't see that and get into you about it?"

Draco's gaze drifted over to where Hermione stood with Pansy and Katie, "She is."

Blaise whistled quietly, recognising the look on his friends face, "And she's totally got you by that tiny dick of yours." He said attempting to goad Draco into another verbal stoush, but Draco's gaze didn't shift.

"And I'm happy for her to have it."

Blaise watched his friend, assessing the current look of complete adoration on his face, "Draco?"

But Draco still didn't look at him. He was completely oblivious to his friend, happily distracted watching her across the pub, watching as she clapped her hand over her mouth at something Katie had said. And then laughing loudly at Pansy's answering remark. He sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. He had never known anyone like her. She was self-confident, but at the same time unsure. She spoke her mind, but held thoughts in. She was a mass of contradictions, a puzzle he ached to spend his life working out.

And it was an ache he was becoming all too familiar with. The want to be with her constantly, the _need_ to be with her constantly, consumed him _._ The last week had been a dream, just the two of them together every minute. And while the time spent with alone with her had been nothing less than phenomenal, his son would be back with them in two days, and they would _all_ be together every minute, giving her the family she wanted. The family he had finally gotten her to accept and to be okay with.

"Draco?" Blaise said again, "Have you told her yet?

"Told her what?" Draco finally turned to look at him.

"How much you love her?"

He didn't have to answer. The massive smile that broke out on his face said it all. "A few weeks ago."

Blaise looked stunned, "Weeks? Are you fucking kidding me?" Draco shook his head, "And you're only telling me this now?"

"I'm sorry," Draco said in a mocking tone, "I wasn't aware that I had to get permission from you. Besides, she said it first."

"She said it first?" Blaise looked at Hermione, "Fuck, mate. I think you need to put a ring on her finger and never let her get away." Draco smiled, but said nothing, causing Blaise's eyebrows to wing up to his hair line, "You haven't?"

"No, you tosser," Draco said, "I have to talk with Scorp first."

Blaise choked on his drink, "Jesus, _fuck!_ You're serious?"

"No. But your face right now is priceless," Draco laughed, "She asked us to move in a few days ago and I do have to talk to him about that, but nothing more right now. She was married once and I'm not sure if she's ready for that again. At least not this soon." Blaise looked at her and then back to Draco, "Yeah, I know, who'd leave her, right? Well, the stupid fucker did. And if I ever get the chance, I'll shake his hand and then break his face."

Blaise gave him a look of surprise. He'd never heard him talk like that. Draco wasn't violent, but clearly her ex-husband was an arse.

"There's more to it," Draco explained, "But that's not an in-the-pub conversation. And you know my story, so I'm not in any rush here."

"And Scorp?"

"Are you serious?" Draco looked at Blaise like he was an idiot, "He completely loves her."

"There's something I don't get though," Blaise's eyebrows knitted together.

"What's that?"

"How is it that a total arsehole like you gets the perfect girl, again?" Blaise asked with a grin.

"Jealous?"

"You know I am." He said.

"Well, maybe if you didn't let tiny Blaise out as often as you do, you might find her as well."

* * *

With only ten minutes before the arrival of the New Year, Hermione had her finger looped tightly in the belt loop at the back of Draco's jeans, much to his amusement.

"Do you think some other girl is going to try to kiss me?" he asked.

She looked pointedly at Blaise, who had been snogging Katie's friend Alicia for the last hour after what had been one the most amusing series of flirtations that the pub had ever seen. At least a half a dozen girls had approached, flirted and walked away disappointed, before Blaise set his sights on Alicia. And Hermione had to applaud his choice, and not just because Alicia was Katie's friend and Hermione liked her but because she knew Alicia was no push over and Blaise may have met his match.

"I'm fairly certain if I let you out of _my_ sight, one of the losing contenders may have you in _their_ sights."

"You know her, right?" Draco asked following her line of sight, "Because by the looks of that, she'll be having breakfast with us in the morning."

Hermione nodded, "Yeah, she's actually quite brilliant. She's a structural engineer, in from London. She and Katie have been best friends since kindergarten."

"London, you say?" Draco asked and Hermione nodded, "Interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yes, interesting." Draco said, "My friend there was complaining that I got the perfect girl again, so I explained that if he would just pick one girl and get to know her that might change."

"Okay, but I don't get the _interesting_ part though."

"She didn't approach him, she was one of the few who didn't, but when Katie mentioned she was from London he suddenly became very interested in the girl who wasn't interested in him." Draco explained and a knowing smile crept across Hermione's face.

"Oh," she said, "That _is_ interesting."

"She's smart?" Draco asked.

"Very," Hermione said.

"Excellent," Draco's eyes lit up, "Simple charm won't work, he'll have to be on his toes with her."

"You're far too excited about this." Hermione noted, "Maybe she's just using him."

"Oh, that would be even better," Draco hooted, "The master meeting his match."

Hermione tilted her head to the side, watching Blaise smile at Alicia, a smile that Hermione thought had more to it than just a one nighter in her spare room. Blaise looked slightly smitten.

"The master, huh?" Hermione teased, "Maybe I did pick the wrong friend."

"And that's why you're holding onto me?" Draco smirked at her.

She laughed, "Just protecting what's mine."

"Marking your territory? Keeping all others away?"

"Yes," She said her mouth curving into a smile, "You've most definitely been marked as mine. All others will see that and stay away." He leaned down and kissed her, "Hey! It's not midnight yet."

His eyes flicked to his watch, "Four minutes. I could kiss you for four minutes."

"Another one of those teenage snogging sessions?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head, kissing her again quickly, "A four minute snogging session may lead to something else."

"And what might that be?"

Draco gripped her hips and pulled her against him. He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered quietly, "It might lead to me unwrapping you right here in the pub."

She laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Hmm, I never pictured you as an exhibitionist."

"I'm not," he said, "But I'd unwrap you anywhere."

They were pulled from their bubble by Seamus ringing the bell at the bar and calling _one minute._

"Kiss me now." Hermione told him.

The corners of his eyes crinkled and his lips curved into a sly grin, "I thought you wanted to wait."

"No, kiss me now," she said almost breathlessly, "End this year perfectly."

"As you wish."

Slowly, he leaned forward and cupped his hands under her jaw. He felt the tiny shiver his touch caused and he leaned closer, pressing his lips firmly to hers. He felt her body relax against him as she sighed into the kiss and he hugged her tighter to him.

The pub, the crowd of people, the noisy countdown all but disappeared, as he kissed her at the end of what he considered to be one of the best years of his life.

* * *

The aroma of fresh coffee pulled her from her sleep. She smiled as she stretched and opened her eyes. She had assumed Draco was responsible for the heavy aroma filling her flat, but she turned to find that he was still beside her, passed out and snoring quietly.

She sat up and took him in; he was a beautiful mess. He was in his usual sleeping position: one arm circling his head, the other hand on her hip. His hair was all over the place and his face was wrinkled from the pillow. His breathing was deep and steady; clearly he would be out for a while longer.

She had surprised him in the wee hours of the brand new year, when they finally arrived home and he 'unwrapped' her, discovering the sheer white bra and matching French cut knickers she had on underneath the layers of warm clothes.

His frantic rush to get her undressed had come to a halt, and he had slowed to an almost reverent pace. He'd kissed her - hot and wet and unhurried - kissed her mouth, her jaw, her neck, all over her skin. He made her tingle all over and he brought her close to pleasure - only to stop and begin all over again - too many times to count.

And when he finally entered her, after she had threatened parts of his anatomy, his fantasy of her in white came to life: her bra had stayed in place and her knickers were simply pulled aside. He took his time, sliding torturously through her over and over, until she threw head back and cried out his name. He had held on, plunging into her again and again, bringing her over once more and then twice before he arched over her and came hard inside her. His own guttural groan was harsh and loud and had vibrated against her neck. It was a sound she hadn't heard from him before, but was one she hoped to hear over and over again.

Hermione smiled, leaning down to kiss his shoulder. She pushed back the warm covers and slipped out of the bed. She crossed quietly to the bathroom, shaking her head at the reflection in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up every which way and her makeup was everywhere.

She grabbed a washcloth and cleaned off her face, calming her hair down as she ran her fingers through it, making herself look presentable to whoever it was that was in her kitchen. She swallowed two aspirin in an attempt to stop the pounding in her head and pulled on some yoga pants and Draco's fleece hoodie, knowing he would be looking for it when he finally woke, but not caring (and knowing he wouldn't either. He had mentioned several times that he liked it on her, of course he preferred her naked underneath, but that wouldn't be happening this morning).

She padded silently across the plush carpet, and made her way into the kitchen and wasn't at all surprised to see Alicia sitting at the counter, her head resting on her hands. She was wearing an oversized sweater that was clearly Blaise's and her legs were bare, and Hermione wondered if she should offer her some sweatpants.

"Good morning," Hermione said quietly, "Happy New Year."

"And to you," Alicia smiled nervously, her cheeks tinging pink, "Sorry, I hope this is okay?"

"It's perfectly fine," Hermione said pulling a mug from the shelf and filling it, "I think we'll all be in need of copious amounts of coffee this morning."

"Oh, no I meant-" Alicia began but stopped at the amused look on Hermione's face.

"And that's fine too." She took a sip from her mug, sighing as the hot liquid hit her stomach, "How's your head?"

Alicia winced, "Foggy. I haven't drunk like that since... _shit,_ I can't remember."

Hermione laughed and told her she'd be right back. She disappeared back down the hallway and returned several moments later with aspirin in one hand and sweat pants in the other. She handed both to Alicia who looked at her like she was about to fall at Hermione's feet in worship.

Hermione sat opposite her, watching with no small amount of amusement as Alicia first downed the aspirin and then shimmied into the sweat pants. "Thank you," she sighed and sat back down, "Pants are good."

"I always think so," Hermione agreed, "Although, I can think of at least two guys that would disagree."

Alicia's cheeks went pink again, "Um, I don't normally do this."

Hermione reached across and touched her arm, "I was just teasing. And like I said, I don't mind."

Alicia nodded and lowered her eyes, staring at the steaming mug in front of her.

"Everything okay?" Hermione asked.

"Uh, yeah," she murmured, "I just wasn't expecting this."

Hermione watched as she mulled over the thoughts in her head, and wondered if she was the one who should be having this conversation with her. It was Blaise, after all, that she came home with.

"And he lives right near me." Alicia added glancing up at Hermione.

"And is that a good thing?"

"Maybe. I don't know." She shrugged and gave Hermione a look of confusion.

"Well, the old cliché says, _there's only one way to find out_."

"I guess," Alicia sighed, "One night isn't much to go by."

"And was it a good night?" Hermione asked holding back a smirk.

Alicia was unable to stop her smile, "Um, yeah. It was."

"I think that smile tells you everything you need to know."

"What smile would that be?" Draco's voice was raspy and he sat down heavily next to Hermione.

"That smile," Hermione pointed to Alicia, and then kissed his cheek. "Coffee?"

"God, yes," He groaned, "Seamus is a dead man when I see him next."

Alicia laughed as Hermione slid a mug in front of him, "Poor baby," she cooed and rubbed a hand across his back, "Did the bad man make you drink lots of whiskey?"

"You're lucky you're gorgeous," He told her, "Sarcasm doesn't become you."

"Way too gorgeous," Blaise's voice sounded much like Draco's, raspy and cracked, but he was smiling at Alicia. "Hey," he said sitting beside her.

"Hi." Alicia replied, her cheeks flushing red.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, holding back the snigger she felt bubbling up inside her at the awkwardness between the two. "Hey," she looked at Draco, "I am in desperate need of a shower. Did you want to join me?"

Draco frowned and looked down at his coffee, "But I've hardly-"

" _Shower_." Hermione said with a glare.

He glanced up at both Blaise and Alicia, the sudden realisation of what Hermione was alluding to hit him, "Oh...Oh, right. Yes. Shower. Lets go."

Hermione pressed her fingers to her eyes and shook her head, pushing back from the counter and standing she told them, "Sorry, he's not the brightest first thing in the morning. We'll give you some space."

"You don't-" Alicia began but Hermione held her hand up.

"It's fine. Drink coffee. Talk."

"Thanks." Alicia said with a nod.

"Keep the noise down," she heard Blaise call as she closed the bedroom door behind her. Draco had already started the shower and she found him half naked by the time she crossed the room and joined him.

"I'm an idiot, I know." He said stripping the last of his clothes off and stepping under the water.

Hermione followed suit and joined him, "Ah, yes, but you're a gorgeous idiot."

He laughed, "How long do we need to leave them out there?"

She shrugged, "Hard to say. I think she likes him. And going by the look on his face, the feelings are mutual. A lengthy conversation may be in order."

Draco pulled her to him, "See, he was right. This town _is_ full of gorgeous women."

"And is it okay that the gorgeous women all fall for the hot strangers that randomly turn up in town?

"Well, that's the only reason we came."

She pushed up on her toes and kissed him, "Hmm, I sure I can think of other reasons you _came_?"

"Always in the gutter." Draco laughed and pushed her back against the tiled wall, "But, yeah. _Coming_ here was the best thing I've ever done." He reached down and cupped the backs of her thighs, lifting her and hitching her legs around his waist. Her head fell back against the tiles when he rocked into her.

He didn't care that his friend was just down the hallway pursuing his own possibility at this, the possibility of finding someone who could finally get him to slow down, to commit. And the smile on his friends' face let him know that the girl sitting out there was going to be the one to do that.

So Draco decided he would take his time, and start his New Year in the most perfect way: buried deep inside the woman he loved, listening to her murmur his name over and over.


	17. Chapter 17

"Good morning sleepyhead," Draco said, kissing her forehead as she lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him.

She smiled at the rumpled vision before her and could only imagine that she looked the same.

"You're a mess," he said with a grin.

Hermione choked out a _Thanks._ She cleared her throat and tried again, "Thanks."

He laughed, "A beautiful mess."

"No. It's too late now." She mumbled, "You said it, I'm a mess. You can't take it back."

Draco kissed her again, "You feel okay?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes."

He dragged his palm across her back, "Not too sore?" A smile curved at his mouth, tender but tinged with knowing twinkle in his eye.

"No, I'm fine." She told him.

"Are you sure? Things got a little rough last night."

 _Rough_ was an understatement.

They'd made the most of their last night together. Of it being just them before having to return to the reality of work and life and Scorpius.

It had started in the kitchen with Hermione finding that Draco with his sleeves rolled up and doing dishes was way hotter than she had ever thought it could be and her kitchen counter found itself being used for a purpose it had not been originally designed for.

They'd then stumbled into the living room, falling onto the couch where she took charge and rode him into oblivion. And then finally they'd made it to the bedroom. It had been frantic and loud and, as Draco said, rough.

Hermione smiled, _Scorpius_. Draco would be leaving shortly to go get him. And even though they'd spoken with him every day, she missed him more than she thought possible and was eagerly awaiting his return. She shifted slightly and winced.

"Hermione?"

"I'm fine," she repeated, "It's a good sore." She pushed up on one elbow so she could look at him and winced again.

"That's not a _good_ sore." Draco's face had changed from playful to concerned.

She put her hand on his chest, stopping him from sitting up, "I feel like I've spent the night in the gym. I haven't had a work out like that in quite a while."

"I don't think I've ever been to a gym that does work outs like _that_."

Hermione kissed his chest, "Clearly you've been going to the wrong gyms."

He rolled to his side to face her pulling her leg over his hip, "You're sure you're okay though?"

She smiled and nodded, "I am. How long before you have to go?"

The muscle in his jaw twitched and he glanced at the clock, "Two hours. Why?"

She grasped his hand and dropped a kiss on his palm, "Two hours? Hmm, a lot can be achieved in two hours." She pressed his hand to her breast and covered it with her own.

"The work out you already had wasn't enough?" He squeezed her gently, testing that she wasn't still tender from the previous night's activities.

"Well, that's the thing about work outs. They release endorphins that make you happy and you just want to keep going."

Draco groaned, "Maybe I could call Clara to have him one more night."

"Don't you dare." Hermione said shoving at his chest. "I want him back here."

Draco smiled, wondering if she realised what she had just said, _she wanted him back here_. It was the simplest form of parenting; missing your child. And for all the protests she made for him not being hers, for her not being his mother, she had no idea just how close she had truly become to being exactly that.

"And I'm sure he can't wait to get back. He's completely in love with you, you know that right?"

"And I'm completely in love with him, so it works out perfectly." Hermione grinned and then glanced over his shoulder at the clock, "Now we only have about an hour before we have to get out of this bed and get moving. Show me what you've got."

He laughed and pulled her closer, slipping his hand between her thighs. He touched her carefully, regardless of what she said, he knew she'd be sore and sensitive. He'd pounded into her harder than he had ever done before. He had thrown her legs over his shoulders and she had urged him on, digging her nails into his hips and moving with him, and he was sure that there would be imprints in his flesh.

She closed her eyes and sighed, "Hmm, like that."

He kept his movements slow and gentle, just enough to awaken her arousal. She began to rock against his hand, tiny movements intended to speed him up. But he wouldn't speed up, wouldn't just take her. He could feel that she was swollen and sensitive and he needed her to be soaked before he would slip into her. Her eyes were still closed as he gently rolled her to her back and her legs instinctively opened wide for him.

His mouth dropped to hers, as his fingers continued to play her, and he could feel his own exhausted arousal waking up. His mouth travelled down her chest, his lips closing over her nipple, sucking licking, scraping teeth over the sensitive peak. He felt her body relax, a tiny breathy sigh and a whisper of his name.

He travelled lower, kissing his way down to her navel, biting at her hips and the tops of her thighs. Her skin was warm and flushed, and her hand slid though his hair, pushing gently, urging him to go lower.

He smiled against her hip, "Patience, my love." And he laughed as she shifted impatiently beneath him. "Slow down, Hermione. I promise I'll get you there."

Draco held back a groan as she flexed her thighs and rocked against him, rubbing herself against his hand. She was wet, and getting wetter, but he still wouldn't move faster.

He drifted lower still, shifting to lay between her legs, his hands resting on her inner thighs pushing gently, urging her wider. He blew a soft breath of air across her soaked flesh, a sigh of pleasure sounding quietly in the room, smiling at the groan of relief from Hermione as he began tonguing at the space between her legs He nipped at the soft flesh on her thigh with his teeth and teased her entrance with the tip of his finger, leaning down to kiss her slick skin, his tongue flicking out and sliding across her clit.

"Draco," she breathed, "Please."

He smiled and finally slipped his finger inside her. She sighed again as his finger slowly slid through her, and his tongue continued to circle her clit.

"Harder," she gasped gripping his head and chasing his tongue.

He sucked and licked, pressing down on her with his thumb, adding another finger. She sucked in a breath, and he stopped, "Hermione?"

She swallowed, "Good sore," she breathed and he slid his fingers out of her. She grabbed at his hand, "No, keep going."

"No," he said, "It's too much." He crawled over her, kissing her.

She opened her eyes, and dragged the tip of her tongue across his lip, a sly smile crossed her face. "Do you like how I taste?"

Draco leaned down on his forearms, pressing his mouth harder to hers, sliding his tongue against hers, "I love how you taste." He kissed her throat, "You're my favourite thing to eat."

She reached between them wrapping her hand around him and rubbing the head of his cock across the wet slip of skin of her sex.

"Hermione." He warned again, "You're too sore."

She reached up and caressed his cheek, "I'm fine," she told him guiding him to her entrance, "Just go slow."

"I don't want to hurt you," He looked down at her, "I never want to hurt you," he whispered.

"You didn't, and you won't," she told him angling her hips up to him.

"Slowly," he said. She was slick and wet, her body tight, resisting him slightly, as he eased into her, his arms curled beneath her shoulders holding her to him.

Hermione groaned at the heavy feeling of him inside her. The ache of him having been hard and frantic and repeatedly inside her lingered, causing a slight discomfort, but the way he was moving - slow and gentle- was not causing pain.

His broad chest covered hers, his hips pressed hard to her thighs pushing them high along his ribs as his cock slid slowly through her **.** He pushed in deep, arching his back and rolling his hips, sliding across every inch of her skin. She gripped his arse, pulling him deeper, urging him _more and faster_ and biting into his shoulder. But he refused, moving in a slow, steady rhythm, knowing that he'd get her there like this, knowing that she loved the slow intimate sex as much as the frantic fucking.

She circled his shoulders, hugging him tighter to her, rocking lazily against him. "Draco," She murmured, "Love this."

He smiled against her throat, kissing her jaw, her temple and finally her mouth, "I know, baby."

She flexed her legs pulling them higher and forcing him deeper, "Tell me," she whispered, "Tell me."

Draco smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted. She wanted to hear him. Not just his groans and curses, but his words. Words that told her how she felt around him, words that told her what she did to him.

"I love the heat of you on my cock." He murmured still moving slowly over her, "I love your tight pussy, how wet and slippery you get for me. I love you beneath me, and over me, and sleeping beside me." She hiccuped and he saw a tear slide down her cheek, "I love when you come all over me," he pressed his forehead to hers and deepened his thrusts, "I love how you take my breath away every time I look at you."

She arched beneath him, squeezing her legs tighter against his sides, shuddering and clenching around him. She choked out a strangled _oh,_ and dug her nails into his shoulders.

"That's it, baby," he panted, "Let me see you get there."

He watched as the pink flush rose on her chest and spread to her throat. Her breaths were heavy and she was choking out incoherent sounds, her cheeks wet with tears. She shuddered again and her voice was thick and raspy when she sobbed out his name and came.

Draco's hips stuttered, the tightness of her, her tears, her hoarse voice completely overwhelming him. He'd not expected this, the quiet intimacy after the wild night they'd had. And her reaction to his slow, measured thrusts, his body over hers, had him realising she hadn't expected it either.

He was still moving in her, feeling her fluttering around him when his own release washed over him. A quiet rush of pleasure that ran down his spine and pooled in his belly. He collapsed onto her and groaned quietly into her neck.

Her arms circled his neck holding him to her, her breaths coming in heavy pants and gasps. He pressed soft kisses along her neck and shoulder, "Hey," he said quietly, lifting his head to look at her, "Where are you right now?"

She swallowed and smiled up at him, "Right here, with you."

He circled her head with his arms, kissing her gently, "Alright?"

She nodded, "Yes, sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said, "What happened? Did I hurt you?"

"No," she gave him a small smile, "That was just…"

"Unexpected? Overwhelming?"

She reached up and brushed his hair from his face, "Yeah."

Draco pressed harder against her, "I love you."

Hermione shivered when she saw the emotion in his eyes. No matter how often he said it, it still overwhelmed her. He overwhelmed her. And with him still warm and heavy between her thighs she felt the tears well in her eyes again.

"Hey," he said softly, "Talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

He moved to shift off her, but she held him in place, "No, please. Stay there," her voice was almost desperate. She reached her hand up and brushed her thumb across his cheek, staring into his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere." Draco leaned down and kissed her. "Is that what's worrying you? Cold feet about me and Scorp?"

Hermione smiled, "No…yes…I mean," she shook her head, "I'm being stupid."

Draco rolled them to the side, sliding out of her as he did so and causing them both to groan quietly. "You might be," He tapped his finger to her forehead."But I can't judge that if I don't know what's going on up here."

She took a breath before her thoughts came tumbling out, "You worry if I'm hurt, and then take your time and make love to me and tell me that you love me and I'm just an idiot who cries. And I love you, I do, and Scorpius and I want you both with me and it hurts to think that you might not be."

"Okay, slow down." Draco cupped her face, making her look at him, "Why wouldn't we be with you?"

"Scorpius might not want to live here."

Draco laughed, "Of course he will. He loves you, and on the rare times we're not together, he wants to know why you're not with us. We want to be here with you, so we're not going anywhere."

"Really?"

"Yes," Draco said, "Well, I have to go get Scorp, but other than that, I'm staying right here."

"I'm sorry for being a colossal idiot…again."

"I wouldn't have you any other way," he said, "It's just one of the many things I love about you."

Hermione ran her hand through his hair, "You were perfect, by the way,"

"Perfect?"

"Perfect," she repeated, "We should do that more often."

"Every fucking day, if you want." He rolled back over her, "Twice."

"That could be arranged." Hermione laughed.

"Hmm," he hummed into her neck, "Maybe I could come home at lunch, make it three times a day."

"Three times a day?" Hermione brushed her hands along his ribs, over the curve of his arse and squeezed, "And here I was thinking that you were concerned for my wellbeing."

"Just think how much better it would be for your wellbeing if I made love to you three times a day." He ground his hips into hers and she groaned.

"My wellbeing, yes. My sanity, no." She laughed, "Now get off me, you have to pick up your son."

* * *

"Hermione! Hermione! I'm back!" Scorpius called down the hallway, "Where are-"

"Welcome home," Hermione said and laughed at the stunned expression on his face. The tiny kitten that was sitting on her lap was staring back at him, with the same perplexed look on its face.

Draco had been insistent that she come with him, that Scorpius would definitely want her to and Clara and Cuthbert would love to see her. But she had told him that she had already made plans long before he and Scorpius came along. Plans that she refused to share with him. He'd pressed her as to just what she was up to, but she had simply smiled and told him it was a surprise.

And the twelve week old Ragdoll kitten that had taken up residence on her lap for most of the afternoon was the reason she hadn't gone with Draco to collect Scorpius. She had planned to get the kitten long before both of them had arrived in her life and when the breeder had called to say one was available, she had jumped at the chance.

She had grown up with cats, both her parents being cat lovers, but since they'd passed she hadn't had it in her heart to get one. And while Draco and Scorpius had not had any influence on her decision, Trevor only just having been born before Draco asked her out, she knew that Scorpius would love it, and she figured it would make the transition to her flat easier.

"Did you get a cat?" he asked walking slowly towards her.

"I did," she said, "This is Trevor."

The kitten let out a tiny _meow_ and she noticed it was looking directly at Draco. She brushed her fingers across its head and said, "Yeah, I know. There's two of them."

"Hello Trevor," Scorpius said as he sat beside her and reached out to the kitten, its tiny paw batted playfully at him making him laugh, "He's cute."

"He is." And he was. An almost pure white ball of fluff, only his face and the tips of his paws were grey.

Draco leaned down and kissed her, "You bought a cat? This is your surprise?"

She smiled and nodded, "I hope that's okay?" Draco nodded, and squatted in front of her, reaching out so the kitten could smell him. After getting a meow of approval, he scratched it behind its ear, earning a purr and a head bump.

"You didn't have to bribe him," Draco said with a grin, "I'm sure he'll agree."

"You didn't..?" Hermione asked Draco.

"No," he said sitting in the armchair across from her, "I thought we could ask him together. But it might be impossible now." He nodded towards Scorpius whose attention had turned to the kitten as it crawled into his lap.

"What happens when you stay with us?" Scorpius asked his hand rubbing gently across the tiny ball of fluff that was purring contentedly, "Will you bring him with you?"

"Well, what if we didn't stay at your place?" Hermione asked him. She assumed Draco would have asked him on the return trip, since she knew how eager he was to move in. But obviously he wanted her to be a part of it, to ask him herself.

"But then we wouldn't see you." Scorpius said looking slightly panicked.

Draco moved from the chair and sat on the coffee table, directly in front of him, "But what if we could see her all the time?"

Scorpius frowned, "But how? If she doesn't stay with us, we'd only see her when we stay here."

"What if we stayed here with her?"

Scorpius looked at Hermione who was smiling back at him, and then back to Draco, "You mean, we could live here? All the time?"

"If you want," Draco told him, "Hermione asked if we would like to, and I think it's a great idea. What do you think?"

"Would I sleep in the starry room?" He asked, "Would that be _my_ room?"

"It would be," Hermione told him, "We could even change it if you want to."

"No!" he cried, startling the kitten, who jumped from his lap and scurried behind Draco, "It has to stay like it is."

"Okay, Okay," Hermione laughed, "So what do you say, do you want to live here?"

"Yes!" he said throwing himself into Hermione's arms, "We can really live here with you?"

"Yes you can," She said hugging him tightly. She glanced at Draco who had a mile wide smile on his face, and she melted.

All the feelings she had tried to keep at bay, all the feelings that she had been scared of disappeared in that instant and completely dissolved any trepidation that she had when it came to being in his life. The pressure that had built up was suddenly gone and the melancholic feelings of needing a child of her own left with it. He wasn't hers, but right in that moment, he didn't need to be.

The love she felt for him was absolute. And while she had enjoyed her week with just she and Draco, being away from him had given her a sort of hollow feeling, like a piece was missing, and it had taken his return for her to realise that the ache she felt at his absence was okay. He would always return, would always come back to them.

And now she found herself imagining them both there with her. Her space becoming their space. Scorpius' backpack dropped lazily in the hall; Draco's running shoes placed neatly beside hers at the door, his leather messenger bag hanging from the coat rack as a reminder so as not to leave anything behind. Homework, reading, the sound of video games and boyish laughter; it was all there, in her – their – living room and kitchen.

"Can I bring all my books? And Iron Man?" Scorpius asked as he wriggled out of her grasp.

"You can bring everything," she told him, "And we can put them all in your room."

"My room," he grinned, but quickly frowned, "But what about James? Isn't it his room?"

Hermione smiled and brushed her hand affectionately through his hair, "It _was_ his room, but now it's yours. And I'm sure that when he stays over, you'll be happy to share it with him, am I right?"

He nodded eagerly, "When can he stay?"

Draco laughed, "Maybe we can invite him over after we've moved in."

"Brilliant!" Scorpius said and reached out for the kitten that Draco had rescued from behind him, but Trevor simply batted his hand away and pressed back against Draco. "Hey," he said, "I'm your friend too."

Hermione circled his shoulders, "Don't worry, he'll be your friend again in no time. I think your loud voice may have frightened him a bit, that's all."

Scorpius bent forward and looked him right in the eye, "I'm not always loud," he reassured him, "I just got excited 'cause I'm gonna live with you all the time." He looked up at Hermione, "We are gonna stay here forever, right?"

Draco looked at Hermione and raised his eyebrows in question. She nodded, "Forever sounds pretty good to me."

* * *

After going over the rules regarding the kitten – _no, he won't be sleeping in your bed Scorpius; yes, you can be the one to feed him; no, you can't walk him on a lead to school, because he's not a dog; yes, he can go downstairs and meet everyone in the shop_ (that had been Hermione's original plan, a book shop cat); _yes, he can watch The Avengers with you, but no, you can't make him wear a cape_ – Hermione and Draco were in the kitchen preparing dinner while Scorpius dangled a toy mouse on a string in front of Trevor. He had insisted that they stay from that moment on, because Trevor needed to learn all sorts of things and Scorpius should be the one to teach him.

"How was your week with grandma and grandpa?" Hermione asked, dropping ricotta and pesto ravioli into a pot of boiling water while Draco's olive and mushroom marinara sauce simmered away next to it.

"Good." He said absently, before giggling as Trevor rolled to his back and clawed at the felt mouse.

Draco shook his head at her, "You bought a cat, you're not getting any sense out of him for at least a week."

"Oh!" Scorpius said looking up at them, "Can I call Grandma and tell her we got a cat?"

Hermione couldn't hold back the smile. _We got a cat._ They had gone from two separate entities – her and them – to a single unit. A 'we.'

"How about we tell her tomorrow?" Draco said, "We'll have to call her anyway."

Draco and Hermione exchanged a look. "You didn't tell them either?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"No, I thought we should talk to him first." Draco said from where he stood at the island. "They've met you and they like you. And I know they'll be fine with it."

"And your parents?"

His brows knitted together and she saw his jaw clench, "I'll tell them at our next scheduled call."

She stepped around to him and squeezed his arm, "Sorry, shouldn't have gone there." He hadn't heard from them since the two minute call on Christmas Day from his mother. It had only been just over a week, but with even with her limited experience with them, in her mind it was still bizarre.

He smiled at her, "Well, it'll just make the next Malfoy family dinner that much more interesting."

"Indeed it will." Hermione said and then turned to Scorpius, "You need to wash your hands. Dinner is ready."

" _Ohhh_ ," Scorpius whined, "But Trevor needs me."

"He can still see you while you eat dinner," Hermione pointed out, "Off you go."

He huffed out a breath, "Fine," he said and then gave Trevor one last tummy rub, "I have to eat my dinner, but you can watch."

Draco was beaming at her, "Yeah, you're so not ready for this parenting thing."

She rolled her eyes at him but was smiling, "Shut up."

"Are you two gonna cook like this all the time?" Scorpius asked when he returned, pulling himself up onto a bar stool and watching the pair as they served up dinner, "Or just dad?"

"Watch it," Hermione said sitting beside him and elbowing him playfully in the ribs. He laughed and wriggled away from her. "I can cook too, you know."

"Hmm, I guess," Scorpius said, "Maybe dad can help you learn better."

"Maybe I won't let you live in my flat."

"Too late," Scorpius grinned, "You're stuck with us."

Draco sat the other side of her, "He's right, you're stuck with us."

"Hey," Scorpius said with a thoughtful look on his face, "If we're gonna live here, are you gonna get married?"

Hermione choked on the pasta she just put in her mouth, and Draco paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"Because isn't that what happens?" Scorpius continued, "Harry and Ginny are married and so are Pansy and Theo and Grandma and Grandpa and Molly and Arthur and everybody else. And they live in the same house 'cause they're married. So is that what you'll do?"

"Um," Draco glanced at Hermione who was coughing and wiping her eyes, trying to recover from Scorpius' bombshell, "That's something that Hermione and I will have to discuss later. Is that important to you?"

Scorpius shrugged and shook his head, "No. It doesn't matter really. You and mum weren't married."

"No we weren't," Draco agreed, "So why did you ask if Hermione and I should get married."

Scorpius took a bite of pasta and chewed slowly. He finally swallowed and said "Well, if you did get married, you could have a baby and I could be a big brother."

Hermione sucked in a breath and Draco squeezed her thigh, "Well, that's..." Draco trailed off, not sure how to answer him. He looked at Hermione who was staring at his son. Scorpius' innocence had brought back all of her insecurities back, he could see it in her face.

"Maybe we could talk about this another time." Draco said, "We've only just decided to live here, so maybe we should get used to that idea first."

Scorpius nodded, but Hermione' s face softened and she simply smiled at him, "Is that important? Your dad and I being married and having a baby?"

"Maybe not." He said, "Pansy and Theo are married and they don't have any kids. And dad said you were married, but not anymore, and you don't have any kids either."

"You're right, Pansy and Theo are married and don't have any children," Hermione nodded. "And your Dad is right too, I did used to be married."

He frowned at her, "But why don't you have kids? I thought that's what happened when you got married."

"Sometimes it is what happens," She turned in her seat to face him and took his hands in hers. "Do you remember when I said my mum and dad died?"

Scorpius nodded, "Yeah, you said they were in a car crash."

"That's right, in a car crash," she said her eyes flicking to Draco for reassurance that he knew where this was headed and that it was okay. He nodded and she continued, "Well, I was in the car crash with them."

Scorpius' eyes went wide, "You didn't die?"

Hermione laughed, "No. I didn't die."

Scorpius slapped his forehead with is palm, "Du-uh, how could you die when you're sitting right here? Unless you're a zombie."

She squeezed his hand and laughed softly, "No, I'm definitely not dead, and definitely not a zombie. But," she paused thinking carefully on her next words, "Do you know what happens when lady is going to have a baby?"

He nodded, "It grows in her tummy."

"That's right," Hermione smiled at him, "But, you see when I was in the car crash my tummy was broken, so a baby can't grow there." She looked over her shoulder to Draco again, and he was smiling at her, his hand rubbing along her back.

"Your tummy got broken?" Scorpius asked, his face serious. Hermione nodded, and he asked softly, "Did it hurt?"

"Very much," Hermione told him, "I had to stay in the hospital for a very long time until all my bones mended."

"But they couldn't mend your tummy?"

"No," she smiled at him, "They could only fix my bones."

He smiled up at her and reached over to hug her, "I'm sorry Hermione."

"Thank you Scorpius," she said hugging him back.

"It's okay. James isn't a big brother so I can be the same as him."

"You certainly can," she reassured him.

"And we've got Trevor to look after now, so we don't really need a baby too." He hugged her again.

"I think you might be right," she laughed as Trevor had what appeared to be a fit, leaping in the air and taking off, running across the living room and hiding behind the couch.

* * *

"Hermione?" Draco said quietly from doorway.

She was cleaning up, insisting that she be the one to do it, and that Draco read to Scorpius since they hadn't seen each other for over a week. Scorpius was about to protest when Draco stepped in, knowing that she needed some space, and promising him that Hermione would most definitely read to him the next night.

She turned and smiled at him, "He's asleep?"

Draco nodded, "Trevor too."

"Naww," she cooed, "Look at you, putting the 'baby' to bed."

Draco crossed the room to her. He knew she was trying to make light of the dinner conversation, but he couldn't help but feel that she had become so good at hiding all those anxieties, that it she exactly what she was doing it now. He lifted his hand to cup her jaw, "Are you okay? With him asking that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said running her hand across his forearm, "It was a little unexpected though."

Draco ran his thumb across her cheek, and he realised he had been wrong. The expectations he had of seeing panic in her eyes, or fear, or all the insecure feelings she had harboured when it came to Scorpius and her own inability to have a child, weren't there. He saw none of them. She was smiling, unconcerned at the events at dinner time.

His son had shocked him, and he'd sat stunned while she had dealt with him perfectly. Explaining without any hesitation what had happened to her. "I didn't think that would even be something he would think about. I'm sorry we had to deal with that so soon."

"It's okay Draco," she said turning to face him, "It really is. He knows now, so the expectation has gone and if he has any more questions, I'll be as honest as I can." She paused, "If that's okay."

"After the way you handled things, you never need to ask me that," he said.

She shook her head, smiling at him. "Is this weird? For you, I mean?"

"How's that?" Draco gave her a quizzical look.

"You've had him all to yourself. You've raised him on your own and I can't imagine that was easy. And now," she took a deep breath, "I'm in this. Suddenly it's _us_ , not just you. _Us_ dealing with him. Are you okay with that?"

"You know I am."

"No, I don't," she reached for his hand, "We've not talked about it. Only that you've told me that it's okay for me to be okay with it. You've never said how _you've_ felt."

"It's the same thing, isn't it?"

"I don't think it is." She said, "What if there's something he does that I think is perfectly okay, but you don't, or vice-versa? How do we deal with that? Do you get the final say? He's your son, I'm just Hermione."

Draco grinned at her, "And there it is."

She frowned, "There what is?"

"The panic I was waiting for." He said wrapping his arms around her waist.

She slapped at his chest, but laughed, "You're an arse."

"I might be, but you can't panic every time you _think_ you might do something wrong. You're right, this is all new for me too, but so far we've been okay at it. You treat him like he's your own without even realising it. And we don't even live here yet. Let's just take it as it comes and we'll work out what's important to me and what's important to you when it comes to him."

"But-"

He held his finger to her lips, "No. We're moving into your house. So we have to accommodate you as much as you do us. I'm certain we'll have disagreements over him, and I know that he'll push you to see just how far he can, but that's all a part of all this. A learning curve, if you will. And we'll just roll with it."

"Just roll with it?"

"Just roll with it," He reiterated.

"You know, it really isn't fair that you're so pretty and this smart as well," She said.

"True," Draco said, raising his eyebrows at her, "Please don't be jealous, it's an incredibly difficult combo to be."

She made a face at him, "I already said you were an arse, didn't I?"

Draco laughed, "You did. But you've mentioned on several occasions how much you love my arse."

Hermione groaned, "I really shouldn't say words around you."

He kissed her and leaned his forehead against hers, "We can do this. Me, You, Scorp and Trevor."

"Me, You, Scorpius and Trevor." Hermione nodded and smiled, "And apparently it's going to be forever."


	18. Chapter 18

"You have got to fucking kidding me!" Pansy cursed, "What the fuck do you want!?"

Hermione frowned. She usually tuned out from the conversations at the counter, but Pansy's outburst caught her attention, and while Pansy was well known for her delightful use of the English language, it was rare that her temper flared up so badly that she would curse so loudly in the shop.

She stepped out from between the stacks, wondering who it was that had caused Pansy's outburst. She took a few steps to her right, the counter not quite visible from where she was, and she froze. She couldn't see his face, but she didn't have to. She would know him even if she was blind.

Oliver.

Oliver with a baby.

He could not seriously here with a baby.

Hermione took a deep breath, steadying herself. Three and a half years. Three and a half years since he made his choice. Three and a half years since she signed that piece of paper ending the pathetic excuse that was their marriage. Three and a half years and she'd not laid eyes on him. And now when everything was perfect in her life he shows up. And he shows up with a baby. What the fuck was with that? (Although it was probably safer for him. She was less likely to scratch his eyes out if he was holding a baby).

"I wanted to see Hermione," he said, "I was told this is her place. Is she here?"

Before Pansy could answer Hermione said icily, "She is."

He turned to face her, his smile sliding immediately off his face at the glare he was getting. She would have laughed when he took half a step backwards, but it would have ruined the effect.

"Pansy's right. What the fuck you do you want?"

"Oh, um, I was in town and, um..." he stammered, "This is your, um, place?"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the counter. She glared at him, but said nothing. She was well aware that the three o'clock mums were all there, the large group taking up most of the tables and sofas and they would all be watching the scene with a great deal of interest.

The entire town knew what he'd done, how he had treated her, why he'd left. And as far as she was aware, they all hated him, (well with exception of his mother and a few of his mates). The news that he was back and that he was in the bookstore would be sure to be texted all over town in a matter of seconds. The women sitting there were ruthless. And right then, she loved each and every one of them. Coffee would be on her next Friday.

"Um, I'm in town for a few days." he continued, as if she had any interest in why he was here, "Selling mum's house-"

"Shut up, you fucking idiot." Pansy sneered, "No one cares why you're here."

"And why did you think it was okay to bring that in here with you? Or was it so you could just show off? _Oh_ _look at what my tiny little dick made!_ " Katie said and both Hermione and Pansy stared at her. Katie was insulting a baby. That wasn't a good sign. Katie rarely got angry, nothing seeming to faze her, but clearly Oliver's presence was upsetting her. To say the least.

"None of you are going to make this easy for me, are you?" Oliver said jokingly, but the ridiculously over exaggerated smile again slid instantly off his face as all three of them glared at him.

"Oh, you're a piece of work," Pansy spat, "Do you think that you'd be welcomed with open arms?"

"He's an idiot," Katie huffed, "Of course he did."

"Oliver, darling," a voice said and they all turned to face it, "Oh, isn't this lovely… _Oh."_

"I think the actual words you're looking for," Katie sneered, "Are _oh_ and _shit_."

"Why are you here?" Hermione finally spoke, her voice was cold and emotionless.

"I was told this is the best coffee in town." He said and she shook her head.

"Don't Oliver. Just don't." She told him firmly. "There's no reason for you to come in here. So why did you? The real reason please."

"Mum passed, a few months ago. So Lucia and I are here to sell her house."

Hermione winced internally. For three and a half years she had avoided knowing her name, had avoided even knowing who she was. She hadn't wanted to know anything about her, the lack of knowledge had kept her from going completely bat-crap crazy. And in less than a minute it was all destroyed. She now had a name and a face, and a child with the man who chose her over his marriage and his wife.

"That's not what I asked," she said ignoring his comment. She was well aware that his mother had died and had wasted no more than the twelve and a half seconds it took for one of their regular customers to tell her worrying about it. So if he was looking for sympathy, looking for any kind of reaction from her, he would be sorely mistaken. His mother had known about his philandering ways, had even vouched for him on several occasions when Hermione had called to ask if she'd seen him. So in Hermione's mind, she was as bad as he was.

And while she knew what it was like to no longer have both your parents, she found it hard to feel any emotion towards his loss. She hadn't forgiven him, she never would. But she had moved on, and rarely gave him any thought.

"I don't particularly care why you're in town. I asked why you were here in my shop." She watched his throat bob as he swallowed, and she shook her head, "Katie's right, isn't she? There's only one possible reason you would come in here." her eyes dropped pointedly to the baby.

Oliver looked at Katie, then back at Hermione and made a show of looking innocent. He shifted the baby in his arms so it's face was visible, and exactly proved her point. "No, that's not why-"

"Wow, look at that. Nothing's changed at all, has it? You're still lying," Pansy snapped, "That's exactly why you're here, and you know it."

The bell above the door jingled and her heart soared.

Then instantly dropped.

Draco and Scorpius. She didn't need them to walk into the middle of this. She had no idea how Draco would react. Just how serious he was about his threat to break Oliver's face if he ever got the chance was something she truly never wanted to test.

Scorpius bounded over to her, oblivious to the tension, hugging her around her waist. "Hi Hermione." He said looking up at her, "Have you been busy?"

"I have been very busy," she told him and leaned down to kiss his head, "How was your day?"

He started to tell her about his day; how their goldfish that their class had only just bought was floating on top of the tank when they all got to class, and that he and James and their friend Teddy were going to build a rocket for their science project. And how Draco had told him he could get a new book today.

She glanced up at Draco who was eyeing Oliver and she sensed he knew something was up. "Wow. It sounds like you've had a very exciting day. How would you like it if Katie was to help you pick out your new book? She only just put some new ones out today."

Hermione looked at Katie, who gave her a small nod, knowing that she wanted Scorpius as far from the current conversation as possible.

"Is that okay Katie?" Scorpius asked giving her a starry-eyed smile. Hermione was sure that he fallen completely in love with her shop assistant.

"Oh, that would be awesome." Katie gave Scorpius a sweet smile and he grinned back at her.

"How many new books are there?" He asked following Katie across the store.

"Heaps." she told him and proceeded to move him out of sight of the counter.

"Is this him?" Draco asked from his position beside Hermione.

"Yes. This is Oliver." Hermione said staring straight at Oliver, "And this is the woman he cheated on me with." She refused to acknowledge her by her name.

"Oliver, maybe we should leave," the woman, the hussy, the stupid slag, standing behind him said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are we making you uncomfortable?" Hermione snapped, "I'm sure that you cared about just how comfortable I was when my husband was fucking you behind my back. What did you think would happen when you came in here? Did you think that we'd all sit down like long lost friends and laugh over the fun times you had in bed with him while he was lying to my face?"

"We're simply trying to be civil," she said rather haughtily.

"Civil!? Are you kidding me?" Hermione threw up her hands, making them both take a step backwards. Where the hell did she get off think she was the one that was hard done by? "And what the hell are you staring at?"

Oliver was looking at Draco, his mouth slightly agape. Draco was standing beside her, not touching her or indicating in any way that they were together. He clearly didn't want to make a show, claim ownership of her, mark his territory, as it were. Instead, he simply stood beside her and apparently that said enough.

Oliver looked from Hermione to Draco and back, and she could almost see the realisation form inside his head. "You're seeing someone?"

"I'm not sure how that's any of your business." Hermione told him.

Oliver looked over his shoulder towards where Katie and Scorpius were concentrated on finding him a book. "That's his son."

"Also not any of your business," Draco said.

"So you got the child you always wanted?" Oliver asked her, his lip twitching into a cruel sneer, all pretence of this simply being a civil visit disappeared. And Hermione instantly knew they'd all been right. He was here to shove this child in her face.

Pansy rounded the counter with a look of hatred in her eyes so fierce that Draco grabbed her arm to hold her back. Pansy didn't need an assault charge on her record. And he knew that Hermione had this.

Hermione stood glaring at Oliver breathing deeply through her nose. A million things she wanted to say to him ran through her head. How dare he step a foot in her shop. How dare he stand there pretending to be the good guy, when all he was here to do was to show off his child; the child he once said he didn't need to have. And how dare he bring _her_ with him. The woman whose face she didn't want to picture, whose name she didn't want to know. She wanted to slap him, wanted to – as Draco had often told her – break his face. But that stupid baby was in the way, _and_ she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

She stared at him as the seconds ticked by, her silence pulling the smug grin slowly from his face. He had to remember her temper, her smart mouth, her inability to hold back a thought. There was no way on earth he could forget any of that, and by the shuffling of his feet she knew he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as her silence continued.

It was all he deserved. No, actually, it was less than he deserved. He deserved her wrath, he deserved to have his face broken. But this was her place, her home, her sanctuary and she'd be damned if he would ruin it.

"I did. And he's so much more than I could have ever hoped for," she finally said taking a step forward, "And believe me when I say, I thank the stars every day that it wasn't possible to have that with you."

"You were the arsehole, Oliver, not me." Hermione had lowered her voice to a tone that was more terrifying than any of them had ever heard. "You left me remember? You were the one who had to prove his manhood and plant his spawn in another woman. You were the one who told me I was broken and worthless, and that it was pointless being with me since I wasn't able to give you the child that you wanted. You did that Oliver. Not me.

"So don't you dare come into my shop and act like a kicked puppy, when all you are is a lying, cheating, spineless piece of crap." She sneered at the woman standing behind him whose look of horror made Hermione wonder exactly what he had told her. Clearly his version was different than the actual truth. "I certainly hope that you keep producing children for him. Because who knows how many other whores he'll fuck to get what he wants if you don't."

She looked at Hermione and then at Oliver, "You said she didn't want-" she covered her mouth with her hand, and she at least had the decency to suddenly look guilty, " _Oh,_ _god_!"

Oliver's face drained of all its colour as he realised his mistake; _the child she had always wanted,_ he had said and Hermione smirked, " _Oh_ , did she not know the truth? Did you tell her a pack of lies too?"

Oliver looked fit to burst, "I hope you're pleased with yourself." he snarled.

"Oh, Oliver, look at you. Still blaming everyone else for your faults." She turned to Draco, and smiled up at him, "And believe me when I say, you have no idea just how _pleased_ I am." She dragged his mouth to hers, kissing him a long, slow kiss.

The wolf whistles and applause from the three o'clock mums broke them apart. Hermione looked up at him, searching his face hoping she hadn't made him feel like he was being used as a display to piss off her ex-husband, but she needn't have worried. Draco was grinning down at her like an idiot.

He glanced towards Oliver, who was headed for the door. "Wait," Draco called striding towards him, his hand outstretched, "We never were properly introduced. I'm Draco. And I would love to shake the hand of the man who was stupid enough to leave her."

Oliver looked down at his hand, and then back up at him. His jaw clenched as Draco leaned forward, "You're lucky you're holding him, because I also promised to break your face if I ever had the chance. But since I neither wish to bring harm to a child nor have an assault charge levelled at me, I strongly suggest you leave and never come back."

Oliver glanced over at Hermione who simply smiled and waved at him. He sucked in breath, but Draco held his hand up, "Just leave, before you embarrass yourself any further."

"That was brilliant, Hermione," one of the twins said - Padma? Pavarti? - She never knew which was which they were so identical. And they both had a set of their own identical twins each, which made for a whole other recognition nightmare.

"Thanks," she said giving her a tight smile. She was glad to have their support, but was furious that he'd shown up. Furious that they'd all witnessed what had just happened.

"What a nerve!" Luna, the eccentric mum in the group said. "He'll be most unwelcome wherever he goes while he's here."

"Thank you, Luna," she said, "I'm just sorry you all had to see that."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Millicent told her, "We always knew he wasn't good enough for you. And he just proved it beyond any doubt."

"This one, Dad." Scorpius said interrupting them and handing the book he had chosen across the counter to Pansy.

"No," Hermione said, "No payment necessary today."

Scorpius gave her a wide eyed stare, "Really? But we always pay."

"Well, today it's my treat." She smiled down at him.

He hugged her tightly, "Thank you Hermione."

"You're welcome sweetheart." She looked up at Draco, "Take him upstairs?"

Draco nodded, sensing she needed to calm down before she joined them, not wanting Scorpius to be witness to her rage. "You'll be up soon?" She nodded and he kissed her quickly before smiling at the group of mums, "Ladies. It was good to see you all again."

Hermione almost laughed. The group of mums all stood with their heads tilted, wistful looks on their faces, watching him walk away.

"And now you have him," Penny sighed, "I wouldn't be concerned about that other arse at when you get to go upstairs to that."

"Thanks Penny," Hermione nodded as they all began to file out of the shop, "See you all next week."

"Hope next week's show is as good as this one was!" Helena called over her shoulder and laughed.

"Are we closing early today?" Katie asked when they'd left.

Hermione looked around the shop, noting there were several people still milling around, "No, it's fine."

Pansy touched her arm, "Go upstairs. We'll close up." Hermione shook her head, but Pansy would have none of it, "Go. I mean it."

"I can't go up there yet," Hermione said.

Pansy watched her jaw tighten and pulled her into a hug, "Okay. But don't let the fucker mess with your head," she pulled back and looked Hermione in the eye, "You're better than him. You have Draco and Scorpius now, and he knows that, knows how happy you are and he hates you for it."

Hermione looked sceptical, "Do you think so?"

"Oh, honey. I'd bet my left breast that he's sorry he left you now," Katie laughed, "He was so jealous he wanted to throw you on the floor and fuck your brains out."

Pansy burst out laughing and Hermione shot her a tight-lipped scowl. She didn't need that image in her head. "I think Cedric has been a bad influence on you."

She walked towards the back of the shop, a small smile curving at her mouth at Katie's suggestion. That Oliver would be jealous was something she had never considered. In actual fact she hadn't given him any thought in quite some time now. She didn't want to dwell on it, but if Oliver was jealous of her and everything she now had, she was glad she had to chance to twist that knife into his stomach just a little harder.

* * *

Draco found Hermione pacing the bedroom floor. She was muttering to herself, one hand pressed against her forehead. He stood quietly, watching her, waiting for her to look up and see him. She'd been quiet since she come upstairs, distracted, and he couldn't blame her.

She'd done her best to laugh with Scorp and join in their conversation at dinner, but it had been somewhat forced. His son hadn't noticed, but he knew that bastard was bubbling away under her skin, which Draco knew was exactly what he wanted. And even though her ex would be mostly likely be grovelling his arse off right at that minute, he gotten his desired effect.

He'd cooked dinner and insisted that he both clean up and read to Scorpius, telling her that she needed to soak in the bath and that he'd be most upset if she didn't. She'd given him a grateful nod and headed towards the bedroom, closing the door quietly.

Scorpius had been concerned when she had agreed, knowing that it wasn't something she would normally do, but Draco had explained that Hermione had had a bad day and it would be best if they gave her some time to herself. That she'd be better tomorrow.

In the two months that they'd been living together, they had settled into an easy routine. The three of them fitting together perfectly. He and Hermione alternated the mornings they would run so the other would be home with Scorpius and taking turns to make breakfast with him. And evenings were just as easy. Homework, dinner, reading and a crazy kitten that had taken over the flat and had taken to only sleeping on Scorpius' bed, much to the delight of his son.

And Scorpius loved being in the shop before school, quickly becoming a favourite with the morning customers; and as much as Scorpius liked to tease her about her cooking, she was easily as good as Draco was. It all seemed like rainbows and unicorns and crazy kittens, but the reality of it was, that's exactly how their lives were.

She finally stopped pacing and looked up.

He smiled and held his hand up in a small wave from the door way. She stood looking at him, hands on her hips a blank expression on her face. He closed the door and crossed the room, gently grasping her shoulders and bent at the knees so his eyes were at the same level as hers. "Tell me," he said.

"I hate him," she whispered and Draco nodded, "I hate that he was here." She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Draco rested his chin on the top of her head and held her close, "I know."

"I hate that everyone saw that," her voice was hushed, muffled against his chest. "And I hate that I now know her name, that I now know who she is. She used to be nothing, just a _she_. And now…"

"I know," Draco said again.

"Why did he do this?"

"You know why," he said gently, "He did it to get this exact reaction from you. He wanted to get inside your head and mess with you. He wanted to make you feel like a failure."

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Are you saying he won?"

"No, not at all," he brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, "Because the last thing he was expecting was all this. He expected you to still be working at your old job. He expected you to be miserable, and I'm sure he hoped you were pining away for him. What he didn't expect was for you to be successful and happy, and least of all, he didn't expect you to have a family."

"Is that what we are?"

Draco pressed his lips to hers, "You know that's what we are."

She swallowed nervously at his words, pushing away from him and began pacing again. "It's been too easy between us, something like this was bound to happen."

"Like what?" Draco asked, "Like him showing up?"

Hermione nodded, "Yeah. Just when everything is perfect, he shows up and ruins it."

"He didn't ruin anything. Nothing's changed, everything is still perfect. Listen to me." Draco took her hands in his, bringing her back to him, "Why do things have to be complicated? Is that what you expect, for everything to be difficult and joyless?" Draco had seen several different versions of her; feisty and angry, playful and sarcastic, girly and giggling, quiet and thoughtful, but this was new. She simply looked lost, her eyes searching his for an answer. "We don't have to analyse everything we do, or question why things are easy. They're easy because they are. We work because we do. That's it."

She still didn't look convinced.

"What was life like with him?" Draco asked, "When you were married."

She was surprised at the question, "Um, normal, I guess." She shrugged a shoulder, "Different than this."

"Different how?"

"I don't know, just different."

Draco sat on the edge of the bed, his hands still holding hers, "Did you fight a lot? Argue about nothing or everything?"

She frowned at him, "I don't understand what-"

"Just tell me." He said and tugged her gently to sit beside him.

"It was fine at first. And then all it ever seemed to be was disagreements and anger and the both of us ignoring each other for days. And every time we fought, I always thought it was all my fault. I always thought that I was the reason he didn't want to come home, and I guess in a way, I was. But also it was her. She," Hermione sighed and shook her head. "She didn't know the truth. I always thought she did, but it turns out that while he was lying to me, he was doing the same to her."

"Did you ever suspect that he was cheating?" Draco's hand was gently caressing her thigh. He was watching her face calm, her breathing slowing and her shoulders relaxing. She needed to get out all the hatred and frustrations of Oliver being there today. Of him surprising her, of trying to make her look like a fool in public. She hadn't yet realised that his plan had backfired.

Instead the surprise was on him. If her book shop was a shock, Draco and Scorpius were certainly more so. He clearly hadn't expected her to be with someone else. And for that someone else to have a child. Draco knew the minute Oliver had realised that Draco was with her, he was stunned. The picture that he had clearly built up in his head of her being miserable and alone, that she would be a complete failure and that no one would want to be with her, was so far beyond incorrect that he was genuinely shocked. Her success, her family, her happiness, had not been what he was expecting, and his own insecurities had surfaced and instead of being an adult, being polite and civil, he turned nasty. Of course, that had backfired as well, and Draco was sure that for the next few days Oliver's life in this town would be a living hell.

"I hoped he wasn't." She admitted, "But right before it ended, I knew something was off. We hadn't had sex in weeks because apparently he was too exhausted from work, and if he wasn't at work he was _out with the boys_. And on the rare occasions he was home, he could barely say more than a few words to me. And when I found out about her, I wondered if she was the first, or if there had been others. I hated myself for being so stupid that I didn't see what was happening. And I hated his mother and his mates for hiding it."

"And when he left?"

"He just left." She said in a quiet voice, "Packed up his belongings and left. No conversation, no yelling, no crying, not even a good-bye, nothing. He just left."

"And you were heartbroken?"

"For a while." She said, "I wished all sorts of atrocities on him and the stupid slag he'd been shagging. But like everyone said, I was wasting too much time being upset over him."

Draco lifted an eyebrow and made a single nodding gesture with his head, "Ah, but that was easy for them to tell you that since they're all happily married and there's not a single divorce in sight."

Hermione smiled, "Exactly. But they were right. I had to let him, and the anger, go."

"So that's how you remember living with someone to be," Draco said nodding, "But you know that it's not always like that. You're parents were happy, right?"

She smiled at the memory of them, "Yeah, they were."

"And even if they argued, they worked it out?"

"They did," she agreed.

"So, you'd agree that this thing we've got is pretty good, yeah?"

She covered his hand with hers, "It is. I was telling the truth when I said that he was the best thing that had happened to me. You too."

"And that's how we both feel about you." He reassured her. "Hermione, I don't want you to compare him and me. But you have to see that we're different. Everything you're telling me about him, about you and him, makes me wonder how you even ended up together." She raised her eyebrows at him and he held up his hand, "I don't say that to sound hurtful, or to make myself sound superior to him, but from what I saw today I can't see you and him together."

"It wasn't always bad," she said, "At first it was great."

Draco nodded, "I know. It almost always is. But I just think that we've both been given a second chance here, and since both our first times at this were miserable, we should embrace just how easy this is."

"I don't think your first time at this was miserable." Hermione pointed out.

"No, not until the end, I guess," Draco shrugged, "And Astoria was amazing through it, but nonetheless it was still miserable."

Hermione looked down at their hands, linking their fingers and squeezing, "It's easy because it is?"

"Yes," he turned towards her folding one leg under the other, "It's easy because it is. I'm not saying it always will be, but there's something that just feels different with you. Something that is just right."

Hermione considered what he was saying. Things _were_ easy between them, but instead of finding it odd or weird, he thought it perfectly normal. And he was right, something was different with them and none of it in a bad way. Everything had felt perfectly natural with him from the start. He had no expectations of her, he didn't want anything from her, he simply wanted to be with her and nothing more. No matter how many times she had told herself that, it had taken Oliver's reappearance to make it clear in her head just how much she loved the two new boys in her life. And just how little her ex-husband truly meant to her, which was less than nothing.

She sighed, "You're right. This is different and it's perfect and I love you both more than anything. I don't care that he saw us, but I don't want to use you and Scorpius to prove anything."

"And you didn't." He reassured her, "All you proved was that all the assumptions he made since he left he left were wrong."

"I just hate that he was here, is all."

He brushed her hair behind her ear, "And you should hate that. He was way out of line doing what he did. But I can guarantee you made his life a little difficult for a while. He'll certainly have some explaining to do."

"Thank you," she said.

He looked surprised, "For what?"

"For making me talk about this." Her face was finally calm. She reached out and stroked her hand across his thigh, "You took a shitty day and turned it into something entirely different."

"You're welcome." He said.

She lifted their linked hands to her mouth, "Do you mind if I read for a bit? Pretend like today didn't happen?"

"Of course not," He said watching her as she stood and plucked her iPod from her nightstand. "I still don't understand how you find that screaming relaxing."

Hermione held up the device and smiled, "Just because you find a different kind of screaming in your ears relaxing, doesn't mean this isn't."

He stood and grinned at her, "Ah, but my name being screamed in your voice is music to my ears."

She laughed, "Well, this has the same effect on me."

He raised his eyebrows," Really? Is it wise then that you listen to it out there?"

"I don't mean it like that," She rolled her eyes.

"I know, I'm just teasing." He pressed his lips to her forehead, "Don't read all night, okay?"

She nodded, "I promise."

* * *

Draco woke to an empty bed. He glanced at the clock, the glowing numbers telling him it was 2.01am. He reached his arm out and realised the bed had not been slept in and sat up in a panic. The bathroom was dark, but a tiny slither of light was creeping under the bedroom door. He frowned and wondered why she was up.

He wandered out seeing the dim light on across the room and smiled. She was sound asleep, curled up on the small sofa in her reading nook, the thin blanket pulled over her. Her book was still open in her hand. He sat on the edge of the sofa beside her hip and took it gently from her, causing her to stir.

"Draco?" she said sleepily.

"Hey," he said quietly, "I guess you fell asleep out here."

"Sorry. I guess I did." She smiled at him. He was naked except for the tight boxer briefs and was absently scratching his belly. His hair was mussed up and he looked half asleep himself. "What time is it?"

"It's two in the morning."

Her eyes went wide, "What?"

He nodded, "Two a-m." He leaned down and kissed her. "Did you want to stay out here?"

She ran her hand across his stomach, "No. Why would I when I have you in my bed?"

He reached his hand out and she allowed him to pull her from the couch, "And yet, you're sleeping out here at an ungodly hour and I'm all alone and neglected."

She sniggered, "Most men would love to be as neglected as you are."

"You feel better?"

She sighed and smiled at him, "Much better. Thank you."

"You feel like thanking me in another way?" he asked her leading them back to the bedroom.

"At this hour?" she said stripping off and pulling the covers back on her unslept in side of the bed, "You're completely insane."

Draco pulled her close, tucking his chin over her shoulder, "You're really okay?"

She snuggled closer to him and nodded in the dark, "I really am."


	19. Chapter 19

"I'll give you a million dollars and a year off school if you tell her," Hermione heard Draco say as she came through the door.

"Nu-uh," Scorpius said, "That's not enough. You tell her."

"Seriously, _that's_ not enough?"

"No Dad. You have to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Hermione asked as she came into the living area. Draco was cooking dinner while Scorpius sat at the island watching, the pair were staring at her with identical wide-eyed looks on their faces as though they'd been caught red handed. She picked up Trevor, who was curling his way around her legs, "Looks like these two are up to something."

"Dad'll tell you." Scorpius informed her and moved to scarper away.

"Stay right there," Draco pointed at the stool he was attempting to vacate, "You can be here for this as well."

"This is not fair." Scorpius groaned and climbed back onto the stool.

"You're cooking Indian? This must be bad." Hermione noted knowing that Draco was aware that it was her favourite. Draco held out a glass to her and she glanced at the bottle, "And expensive wine. What did you two do?"

"You tell her," Draco said to Scorpius, "You're adorable, she won't hate you."

"No way," Scorpius shook his head, "You have to tell her. She's your girlfriend."

Hermione took a sip of her wine, "I think they've gone mad," she said to Trevor who meowed in agreement. "Come on guys, it can't be that bad."

"Oh, it is," Scorpius said leaning on the counter and putting his head on his hand, his face looking rather glum.

Hermione tried not to laugh at his dramatics and looked at Draco, "Can you please tell me?"

He pursed his lips and then sighed, "Fine. My mother called today, and she and my father would like to visit for Scorp's birthday."

"Okay," Hermione said slowly, "His birthday is a month away, so that gives us plenty of time."

"Um, well, that's the thing. They can't make it for his actual birthday, so they'd like to visit next weekend."

Hermione put Trevor down, and sensing she was tense, he scampered behind Draco's legs, peeking out at her. "Are they coming here?"

Draco nodded, "I told her if they wanted to see him then they would have to come here. It's where we live now, and they'll just have to deal with it." He grimaced, "I hope that's okay?"

She let out a long, shaky breath, "I'm sure it will be fine."

The phone conversation between Draco and his parents when he called to tell them about the change in living arrangements had not been pleasant. Draco had been calm when he had called a week after he and Scorpius had moved in, but after a twenty minute loud and heated phone conversation, he'd hit the end button and his phone clattered across the island counter, sliding across it and falling to the floor with a loud crack.

To say they weren't pleased that he had moved in with her would be an understatement. Her reaction to them at the dinner from hell was a sticking point, and they had hoped that his little fling would have been well and truly over, and he would have moved on to someone more suitable.

And he had been like a bear for two days, quiet and sullen with sporadic fits of rage. Hermione and Scorpius had been mindful of just how upset he was, not exactly placating him, but giving him the space he needed. Scorpius made sure to hug him and tell him that everything was okay, and that he and Hermione both loved him. And that it didn't matter what grandma and grandpa thought.

Hermione had waited until he was ready to talk to her, to tell her the full extent of what they had said. He wasn't like her; he held his feelings – except those towards her and his son – to himself until he was ready to share. So she had waited. He'd apologised repeatedly for them, but she reassured him that she didn't care what they thought, and she had surprised him by being completely nonchalant about it. She had expected it, she had told him. They hadn't liked her from the outset, so she couldn't see them changing their minds anytime soon.

Draco stepped around the island and grasped her shoulder, "Are you sure? I can call and cancel."

She smiled at him. After her melt down two weeks ago, she knew Draco was being cautious. And she loved him for it.

 ****** HGDM ******

It had been almost a week since Oliver had shown up Hermione had thought she was okay. Draco making her talk about her life with her ex-husband had settled her anger at seeing him with his new wife and baby.

But she'd been wrong, and the following Wednesday afternoon Hermione left the shop early and gone upstairs telling Katie and Pansy she wasn't feeling well.

When Draco had come home he had been surprised to not find her in the shop, and even more surprised when Katie told him that she'd gone upstairs just after lunch because she was sick. Hermione wouldn't leave work if she was bleeding from her eyes. He climbed the stairs and found Scorpius was watching the television, explaining that Katie said Hermione was feeling poorly and he just stayed out there so as not to disturb her.

Draco told him to keep the television low and he went in search of her. When he did find her, he was shocked; she was curled in a ball on their bed in her underwear, she'd completely folded into herself and was beyond inconsolable.

He curled beside her and gently pushed her hair from her face. Her eyes were rimmed red, her face puffy from crying and his heart sank. "Hermione," he whispered, "What's happened?"

She stayed silent, her dark eyes staring right through him. She looked broken, and not all like the woman he had fallen in love with. His heart ached at the sight of her.

"Please talk to me," he begged.

She blinked, her glazed over eyes clearing and the realisation that he was laying beside her dawned on her. She tried to push him away, told him that Oliver was right; she _was_ broken and worthless and it was pointless being with her. She told him to leave, that he'd be better off with someone else.

But of course he hadn't left, not like she meant in any case. He kissed her forehead and wrapped the bed covers around her before moving off the bed, closing the door quietly behind him as he walked into the living area. He immediately called Ginny, who, after swearing like a sailor, arrived less than ten minutes after their phone call ended. She made a beeline for the bedroom, but he stopped her.

"I'll be fine with her," he said quietly, "Can you take Scorp for the night?"

Scorpius protested, not wanting to leave, insisting that he stay and help look after her and that if she was sick she needed him to be here with her too.

"And she will definitely need you," Ginny told him, "But maybe tomorrow when she isn't quite so upset."

"But why is she upset?"

Ginny looked to Draco who shrugged, not having a clue as to what to tell him, "Well, she's upset because someone was very mean to her."

But he wouldn't budge, "Then she needs me to help cheer her up."

Draco knelt in front of him, "Scorp, I know you love her and you want to help, but right now she needs some time to calm down and not be upset. So how about you go with Ginny tonight and stay with James and you and I can take a day tomorrow and spent it with her?"

He nodded, reluctantly, and hugged Draco, "Make sure she doesn't leave, okay?"

"She won't." Draco reassured him, "This is her place, and she has to stay here."

They'd swiftly packed his backpack and Ginny told Draco before they left to call him if he needed her. Any time, even if it was 2am, she didn't care. And she added before she left that if she happened to see the stupid fucker she hit him with her car.

Draco stood in hallway outside their bedroom after Ginny had left, steadying himself for another barrage from her. He turned the doorhandle expecting her to yell at him, to tell him to get out but all he could hear was her breathing, steady and even, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She'd fallen asleep.

He moved beside her, brushing her hair over her shoulder and kissing her forehead softly. He watched her, her face peaceful as she slept, but he was aware that as soon as she woke, the contentment would disappear and she'd be angry with him again.

He cursed himself. He'd been wrong. So very wrong. Even after making her talk to him, after telling her that her ex-husband was an arse and he didn't deserve her, Oliver had still won. He _had_ gotten into her head and all the insecurities and all the fears came rushing back, and it had him wishing that he had gone through with his threat to break that bastard's face.

He lay beside her, not sleeping, just listening to her breathing, and watching as she dreamed. Her face twitched and her body shuddered with tiny spasms, and he hated that arsehole more and more as the minutes ticked by. His fingers traced comforting circles on her hip, and he couldn't help but smile as she unconsciously shifted closer to him.

He continued to watch her, it was all he could do, and he couldn't help but wonder exactly what was going on inside her head. Her brow suddenly furrowed and her mouth turned down into a frown. Her eyes flickered and he braced himself for her to wake and shove at him to push him away.

But she didn't wake and it was hours before she did. Just before midnight, her eyes opened suddenly looking frightened and disorientated.

"Why are you here?" she muttered, "You should just leave."

"Never," he said , "I love you far too much to leave." He pulled her to him, holding her protectively in his arms and simply laying beside her while she cried and cursed him and told him how much she hated him for being so fucking perfect.

"I hate him." She said between breaths, "I hate both of them."

"I know you do," he said hugging her tightly.

"And I hate myself for hating that baby." She sobbed and his heart almost broke at the sound.

He pressed his forehead to hers and cursed himself for not knowing how to respond. Of course she hated herself, and he'd completely missed it. He'd been so focused on getting her to talk about Oliver that he'd forgotten to get her to talk about herself.

She looked at him, their eyes locking, and asked him again, "Why are you here?"

He touched her cheek with his palm wiping her tears with his thumb, "Because I love you. And there's nowhere else I want to be."

"But you could have so much more."

"Nope," he reached down and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips, "I don't need, or want, anything more than you. And I don't care if I have to tell you that every day for the rest of my life until you believe it."

"Will you still be saying that five years from now? When you want another child?" her eyes dropped from his, "Because that's what will happen and you'll leave. So you may as well do it now."

"Five years from now, we'll almost have a teenage son."

Her eyes flew open at his words, "He's not my son."

"I know you don't think that," Draco said, "But five years from now you will. Because when puberty hits and he and I butt heads because he thinks he knows more than me and he wants to be the alpha male, he'll need his mother to be the voice of reason."

"Alpha male?"

"Oh, you better believe it," he said, "Ask my parents what I was like." Her lips twitched and he smiled, "Tell me how you felt when he left."

"I already did."

"No, you told me how _he_ was, not you," Draco said, "You're angry and upset and I want to know why."

"I thought that would be obvious."

He shook his head, "No. You have to tell me."

She stayed silent to the point where he thought she wouldn't say anything. She took a deep breath and her exhale was shaky, "I wanted the world to swallow me. I didn't want to exist. It would have been easier. He broke me and I don't think I can ever forgive him. And what I hated even more was that I let him break me."

Draco remained silent; he could see her working out her thoughts.

She rolled to her back and flung her arm across her eyes, "I don't care that he left me. He didn't want to be with me and I don't care about that, but I hate him for _why_ he did. If he wanted to be with someone else, he should have told me. I still would have been hurt but I could have dealt with it. But for him to go behind my back with her, that's what made it unbearable. We weren't even together very long, he could have ended it at the start and none of this would have happened.

"And I don't care that he has a child, I always assumed that he would. I didn't look at that baby and think that it should have been mine, I looked at that child and was instantly angry at him, and her. I was angry because they came to just to show it off. And she can deny all she wants that she didn't know about me, and maybe it's true, but that doesn't excuse her for sleeping with a married man."

Draco gently pulled her arm away from her face, her eyes were still red and brimming with tears. He put his hand on her stomach, "And you should be angry. Angry at the world for letting something so shitty happen to you. You should be angry at him for being a spiteful arse. And at her for what she did. But there are plenty of guys out there that would happily kill to be with someone like you. But they're too late. I'm not going anywhere. Neither is Scorp. You're stuck with us."

She gave him a watery smile, "I'm glad I couldn't have a child with him, because if I could I would still be with him, and not with you." All the anger had left her voice, "And that's something I couldn't bear."

"That's because I'm so perfect, you said it yourself."

She huffed out a breath but her smile hadn't diminished, "You're the most infuriating person I have ever known and I hate you."

Draco laughed and pulled her to him, "And I hate you too."

"Thank you," she said quietly, "For putting up with my crap."

Draco kissed her temple and sighed, "Are you okay?"

"No," she murmured, "But I will be."

"I mean it Hermione, I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead.

She sighed into his chest, "Good."

When Scorpius had returned the next morning, he refused to leave Hermione's side. He hugged her tightly and was so concerned that he almost brought her to tears. He curled on the couch with her, snuggling in close and reading with her. He fetched her tea and water, and even helped to make lunch. Draco had taken the day off work and he too had hovered over her. Ordinarily she would have hated it, hated the worry and the stress, hated having them crowd her, but she found that she didn't care.

Both her boys were here – well, her three boys if you counted Trevor who was curled up with them as well - taking care of her and they were making her heart sing.

 ******* HGDM *******

"Draco, it will be fine." She smiled at both of them.

"Yeah, we thought that last time," Scorpius said, "And look at what happened."

Hermione hugged his shoulders, "Well, if we're all on our best behaviour, nothing like that will happen."

He looked at Draco, "Tell them they can come, but if they act like they did last time, we'll kick them out."

Draco laughed, "I had to tell her they were coming, _you_ can call grandma and tell her that."

Trevor had popped back out from behind Draco and was circling her legs again. He mewled up at her and she bent to pick him up. She watched and laughed as Draco and Scorpius bantered back and forth over who would be the one to tell Grandma and Grandpa they had to behave.

"What if I call them?" she suggested, "I'll invite them over, and how could they possibly say no?"

Draco and Scorpius looked at each other and burst out laughing, "I think she's serious." Draco gasped between laughs.

"Hey!" Hermione yelped indignantly, "Why is that funny?"

Draco stepped around the counter and kissed her cheek, "Oh, my naive love. You do remember my parents, don't you?"

"Nasty, spiteful people who don't like me very much?"

Draco and Scorpius both nodded, "That's them."

Hermione laughed, "Just call them Draco. Ask them to come here, tell them they're more than welcome. It will be fine."

* * *

"Narcissa, Lucius," Hermione said with a bright smile, "Thank you for coming. Please come inside."

"Thank you for having us." Narcissa said. Hermione knew she was trying to be friendly but it was forced and harsher than it was meant. Clearly she hadn't had to be genuinely pleasant to anyone in a long time. Hermione gave her points for trying though. She ushered them through the door and closed it behind them.

"Hello Grandma, hello Grandpa." Scorpius said with a formality that belied his age. He stood with his back straight and his hands clasped together in front of him.

"Hello Mother," Draco said kissing her cheek before giving his father a single nod, "Father."

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at the formalities. But this was how Draco's family was, and she was sure that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't change them.

"Well, let's not stand in the hallway all night, come in." Hermione said turning and heading for the living area.

"Oh!" Narcissa exclaimed and Hermione's stomach dropped and she steeled herself for the critique of her flat that was sure to come. "You have a cat?"

"Yes," Hermione said a little puzzled, "Are you allergic? I can put him away."

"No dear," she said moving towards Trevor, "He's a Ragdoll, yes?"

"Um, yes." Hermione puzzlement turned into bewilderment. She saw a flicker of excitement in Narcissa's face, something Hermione thought physically impossible in this woman. She looked at Draco, whose face was equally as bewildered.

"He's gorgeous," Narcissa said softly and crouched down, holding her hand towards the cat. Trevor gave her the once over, sniffing her hand and then purring in approval. He bumped his head towards her and she ran her hand gently over his soft fur.

"He likes you Grandma," Scorpius said, "You can pick him up if you want. He likes cuddles."

Narcissa actually looked at Hermione, as if asking permission, and she nodded that it was fine.

"Now don't get any ideas Narcissa," Lucius said in what Hermione supposed was a good-natured grumble. "We haven't the time for a cat."

"Oh, hush," she told him as Trevor rubbed his head under her jaw.

Hermione squeezed Draco's arm and he looked at her with utter amazement on his face. Neither could believe the vision before them. Hermione had expected sharp tongues and sarcastic remarks, criticisms and judgments, but seeing Narcissa with Trevor had thrown her for a loop. And going by the look on Draco's face, he felt the same.

"What's his name?" Narcissa asked.

"Trevor," Scorpius replied, "Hermione named him."

Narcissa looked at her and Hermione shrugged, "He looked like a Trevor."

"Well, he is certainly is lovely." Narcissa gave him one last hug before putting him back on the floor and smiling as he scampered off behind the couch.

"That's his favourite spot," Scorpius explained, "He hides behind there all the time."

"That's because he feels safe behind there," Narcissa said, "Cats love small spaces."

"That's what Hermione said."

"You might need this," Hermione said handing a lint remover to Narcissa, "The joys of having a long haired cat."

"Oh, thank you," Narcissa actually laughed as she removed the remnants of Trevor from her clothes. "Black my not have been the wisest choice."

Hermione thought to tell her that there was no way she would know that they had a cat because she never called, and didn't seem at all interested in their lives, but she held her tongue. She had decided earlier in the week that she would turn on the charm and be so sickly sweet that Draco's parents would have no choice but to be polite to her. But she'd been thrown off her game. She'd not at all seen the cold and distant Narcissa Malfoy as a lover of cats. And the fact that she had know Trevor's breed was impressive.

Even Lucius had appeared to be civil, although she had noticed him taking stock of her flat. But she wondered what he was actually thinking. His face was hard to read, but she could tell he had realised that by the sheer size of the space, it was not the original building.

She looked at Draco and mouthed _Drinks_ , the single word pulling him from his stupor. He moved back to the kitchen, all the while keeping a close eye on them as Hermione invited them to sit.

"Father?" He said holding up a bottle of Macallans 18 year old single malt whisky.

Lucius looked suitably impressed, and Hermione refused to think about what that bottle was worth. But then, she'd almost had a heart attack when she saw the 1990 Château Rayas bottle on her counter earlier in the day. Both were a far cry from a night out at the pub with Seamus' mad cocktail concoctions, but she guessed the expectations of Draco's parents were high and nothing less than the best would do.

Scorpius was busy showing Narcissa the magic set Hermione had given him for Christmas. Even he seemed perplexed with his grandparent's sudden interest in him, but was clearly enjoying showing off the few tricks he had mastered.

And that left Hermione and Lucius.

"So, you work downstairs?" Lucius asked as Draco handed him a glass.

"Yes," Hermione answered, "I bought this flat at the same time I bought the shop. It's convenient really. And of course, it was even more convenient when I bought the shop next door and the flat above it." She knew it was a lead in, but she was eager to find out exactly what Lucius was thinking.

"You expanded you shop and your living space at the same time?"

She nodded, "Yes. About a year after I opened I needed more space."

Lucius actually looked suitably impressed, "A year? And you need to expand?"

Draco returned and handed his mother and her a glass of wine each. Hermione frowned at him and he smiled, "The Rayas is for dinner."

Hermione looked back at Lucius, "Sorry, yes. I was as surprised as you. I was told it could be ten years before I saw a tidy profit, so who knew it would happen so quickly?"

Lucius frowned, "You own this building then? You don't rent it?"

"Yes, I do own it," she said, "And two others in town."

"And you did all this in..."

Hermione smiled, "Three years."

Draco reached across and squeezed her arm. He winked at her, knowing that she had just managed to stun his father. A feat very few people were able to achieve. Yes she'd had help from the inheritance from her parents, but that was with the book shop only. Her other two properties were bought off her own back. And even Draco had been impressed with her when she had told him.

"You cooked again Draco?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes," he replied, his spine stiffening, "Pasta with mushroom, eggplant and tomatoes for Hermione and traditional roast lamb with vegetables for the rest of us."

"You don't eat lamb?" Lucius asked.

Hermione shook her head, "Vegetarian, so no." She was fairly certain that they had had this conversation at the previous dinner, but she wouldn't remind him of that.

"You could have just made us all the same thing, darling," Narcissa told Draco, "You always go too far too much trouble when we come over."

Hermione saw his jaw twitch, "And I tell you every time, it's not too much trouble."

"It's really not, Grandma," Scorpius told her, "He loves to cook, and he's really good at it."

"Way better than me, right?" Hermione winked at him and he laughed.

"Yes, but you're getting better." He smiled sweetly at her and she pointed a finger playfully at him.

"Hey mister. You can make breakfast on your own tomorrow."

Hermione noticed Lucius and Narcissa exchange a glance, but she couldn't find it in herself to care what they thought. If their being pleasant was a ruse or a tactic, it wouldn't work. The three of them were happy together and she'd be damned if they were planning to ruin it again.

* * *

Draco closed the door and stood staring at it. _What the hell just happened?_

It had been the first time in his life he could actually say he'd had a pleasant evening with his parents. They'd been civil and polite and conversed with Hermione, he and Scorpius all night. It wasn't normal. Well, not for him anyway.

He was unnerved. Lucius and Narcissa had been perfectly polite, and he wondered what had happened. A change this big wasn't possible, _was it?_

Dinner had gone exceptionally well, and he could hardly believe that these were the same two people who tore shreds off her the previous time they met. Hermione had actually managed to charm his father with her business knowledge and her success in such a short span of time. The two conversed as easily as two old business partners would and he couldn't help the smug feeling that built inside him. The realisation that she was both extremely intelligent and charming had obviously been missed in their last meeting, (his father being more concerned with tearing her apart), and even his mother seemed to fall under her spell.

His mother had even praised his cooking, instead of being concerned that he had put himself out and it would have been just as easy to go out for dinner.

And when Scorpius asked his grandmother if she would like to read to him at bedtime, she had asked both he and Hermione if that would be okay, that she didn't want to intrude on any night time routines that they might have. And, as with everyone who saw his bedroom, his mother was astounded at the artwork painted on the walls and ceiling.

He shook his head as if to clear the confusion and headed back to the kitchen and Hermione.

They stood staring at each other across the island, neither knowing what to say. Hermione reached for the bottle of scotch and poured a glass. She took a sip and pushed it across the counter to him.

"It was like..." He started. He took a sip and pushed it back towards her, "I have no idea who they were. Body snatchers?"

Hermione snorted a laugh, "It was certainly different."

He stepped around the counter and pulled her to him, "I have no idea what the fuck that was, and I'm slightly terrified."

Hermione tilted her head to the side and looked thoughtfully at him, "Clara and Cuthbert, do you think?"

He mulled it over and then nodded, "Probably. Cuthbert is ordinarily like a big cuddly bear, but when he's upset the cuddly disappears and gets replaced with grizzly."

"So, he may have had a chat with your father?" Hermione asked.

"No, not just my father, he would have spoken to both of them. My mother isn't always the fluffy bunny you saw tonight."

Hermione laughed, " _Really_ , _you're kidding me_?"

Draco kissed her, "Well, I certainly hope that it was Bert's doing. It'll make things far easier in the future."

"Are you okay?" She asked, "I mean, that must have been weird for you. I've only met them once, and it was weird for me."

"I'm just going to go with it," He said, "Who knows what they'll be like next time."

She smiled and pushed up on her toes to place a kiss on his lips. He kissed her back and she closed her eyes, their kiss lingering much longer than either had intended. He opened his mouth and she moved her tongue slowly across his.

"Hermione." His voice was almost a breathless whisper against her lips.

"Hmm," she sighed and began to unbutton his shirt, kissing the exposed flesh of his chest.

He lifted her from the floor and carried her to the bedroom, kicking the door closed and collapsing onto the bed with her. He pulled his mouth from hers and hurried to undress her, her breath catching and a quiet _oh fuck!_ made its way to his ears when his mouth covered her opening.

She relaxed into the mattress, brushing her hands through his hair, sighing in bliss at the feeling of him between her thighs. No matter how many times he did this she was sure she would never get use to it. The groan that started in her chest left her mouth as a much quieter whisper of his name as his tongue slid through her folds and pressed against the tiny spot where she wanted him most.

He worked slowly, his tongue circling and flicking, his mouth covering her, his lips sucking and pulling. Two fingers slipped into her curling forward, finding that spot inside her that had her gasping and her hips rising from the bed.

He knew her too well, and could make her come in an agonisingly slow manner that made her think her heart would explode from her chest. Or he could have her plummeting over the edge in minutes, embarrassingly quick. And this time looked to be somewhere in between.

"Draco," she murmured and he stopped. She smiled down at him as he raised his head to look at her. She reached out to him and he instantly knew. She wanted more than his mouth.

He knelt between her thighs, undressing slowly; his shirt pulled over his head mussing his hair perfectly. He kicked his jeans and boxers down his legs, his heavy erection standing straight out from his pelvis. He took himself in hand, crawling over her and pushing inside. She came instantly, not aware of just how close she was. He grinned at her, feeling her squeeze his cock.

"Couldn't wait, huh?"

She pinched his hip and he squirmed. She lifted an eyebrow at him, "Can you make me do it again?"

Draco smirked and pulled out of her. He laughed at her whine, before flipping her over and slipping back inside her. He leaned his chest onto her back, pressing her hard into the bed, "How many times would you like, my love?"

Her words left her. She was unable to do anything but feel him. He felt so big from behind her like this; her legs pressed together as he straddled her hips. He moved slowly, his hands slipping beneath her, finding her nipples and pinching them. She groaned into the pillow and he bit her shoulder.

"Hmm, what was that, my love?" He drawled, "You want me to stop so you can suck me off?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. The man who hadn't ever wanted to come in her mouth had discovered that it was possibly his favourite thing. "No. Make me come."

He kissed her before sitting up, his hands gripping her arse and squeezing hard. He plunged into her slowly until he had her groaning and rocking back into him. He ground into her, his cock at the perfect angle to hit her g-spot. She closed her eyes and let out a low, sensual moan. It still never ceased to amaze her how well they fitted together, how perfectly he fitted inside her.

He leaned back down and whispered against her ear, "I love your perfect arse."

She let out a deep sigh as his thrusts became harder, more intense, his breath hot on her back. His hand not holding him up moved under her hip, massaging her swollen clit. She choked out a cry and he felt her orgasm reach its peak.

"That's it, baby," he grunted, "Fucking come."

She buried her face in the pillow smothering the scream that surely would have woken Scorpius. Draco swore and pulled out of her. He grunted and swore again, and she felt the warm liquid from his cock land on her back before he collapsed onto her, his cock resting between her arse cheeks, his head thumping onto her shoulder.

"Fuck," they both said in unison and then laughed.

"Don't move," Draco told her and rolled off her. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a towel to clean her off.

She rolled to face him, their mouths barely an inch apart, "That was..."

"Perfect?" He finished for her, a sly smile on his face.

She rolled her eyes, "I curse myself every day for saying that to you."

He kissed her quickly, "Ah, but perfection only wants perfection, and I have definitely found that."

"Naww, look at you, with the post coital sappiness."

Draco laughed, reaching down and pulling the covers over them both. He pulled her to him, their naked bodies pressing hard against each other. The fleeting thought of re-dressing flickered through his head; Scorp had so far obeyed the knock before entering rule, but there was always a chance he'd forget.

But he couldn't be arsed to move right then. She'd relaxed against him, her breathing had slowed and she was already close to sleep. If Scorp decided to come in unannounced, well, they'd have their own version of Ginny's grown-up naked time to explain.

He kissed her head and closed his own eyes. The surprises that came with her were a constant wonder to him and he hoped that they would never cease.


	20. Chapter 20

Scorpius' birthday party was three days away, and Hermione wasn't sure she was ready. Everything was organised, but even though she had been to enough children's parties to know what to expect, she hadn't hosted a child's party ever in her life. And the role of 'mother' was still all very new and she couldn't squash the nerves. Draco, of course, found it highly amusing and had been teasing her relentlessly for the past week.

Draco's parents weren't coming, of course, they'd already visited and given Scorpius their usual gift of putting money into a bank account for his future, but Astoria's were. And not only were they coming, they would be staying. Staying in her flat, in her spare room. She wasn't sure if having the parents of her boyfriend's dead ex-fiancé staying over was weird or not, but she was leaning towards the former. She had gotten to know them fairly well in the past few months, with regular phone calls and Scorpius spending several weekends with them, but this would be the first time they would be staying longer than just dinner or lunch.

While Draco and Scorpius had moved in, and she considered that this was their home as much as it was hers, they would still be staying at her flat, and she was still coming to terms with the fact that she had gone from having no real family for years, to having an instant family in just a matter of months.

But Scorpius was excited about having them stay over and had already decided that they should sleep in the room next to his. His love and adoration for his grandparents was obvious and she certainly wouldn't be the one to tell him no.

James and Teddy would be sleeping over as well, the three boys had become as thick as thieves and Hermione loved hearing the whispers and giggles and secret language they seemed to use, and since there wasn't enough room for three in Scorpius' bedroom, they had planned to camp out, as it were, in her library. Scorpius had decided that it should be a 'real' camp out and that they should build a fort and sleep in it. Plans had been drawn up and the blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags were all ready to go.

"You have to stop worrying about this." Draco said from behind her.

She turned to see him smirking at her, again, and she pursed her lips, "I'm not."

He laughed and stepped closer, "Liar. You're so tense you look as if you're about to explode."

He hugged her to him and she relaxed her shoulders, "It's easy for you, you've done this before." She looked over to where Scorpius was sprawled on his belly in front of the television. Trevor was laying across his back, his paw batting at Scorpius' hair making him giggle.

"You could give him a cupcake with a candle in it here at the counter and he'd be happy." Draco kissed the top of her head, "He's having a party where he gets to watch his favourite movie in his own personal movie theatre, there's an impending Nerf war, his two best mates are sleeping over and he gets to make a blanket fort. Believe me, he's happy."

"Are you sure?"

"This is better than anything I've ever organised for him."

"I doubt that," Hermione said, "I'm sure his previous parties have been a blast."

"No, not in the tiny flats we've lived in. We didn't have the room. So this will be the best birthday ever."

"Draco, please don't put-"

He pressed his finger to her lips, "There's no pressure on you, none at all. Everything is ready. You're the most organised person I've ever known, so please stop being nervous or scared that you'll fail, because I can tell you that he's very much looking forward to this weekend. And more importantly, he's excited that _you_ did this for him."

She looked back over to Scorpius and laughed. He had now rolled to his back and Trevor was laying beside him in the exact same pose. He was chatting happily to the cat - who seemed to be actually listening intently to him - telling him that there would be heaps of people here on the weekend, but he didn't have to be scared because they would all love him, and he could play with them if he wanted to.

Hermione shook her head and looked back to Draco, "Best birthday ever?"

Draco pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "I have no doubt."

* * *

"Dad?" Scorpius had a look of concern on his face, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Draco said putting down the book they were reading, "You know you can ask me anything."

It had been Hermione's turn to read to him, but Scorpius had asked Draco to swap with her. He had given no explanation as to why and Draco had thought it odd since Scorpius loved Hermione reading to him, loved spending any time with, in reality, but he knew something was up. He had shared a look with Hermione, and he knew that she wasn't upset at Scorpius' request, but she did look concerned.

They'd been reading for a while, and Draco had begun to wonder what exactly was going on, almost asking the question of what was bothering him before Scorpius interrupted him.

"Why didn't you and mum ever get married?"

"You know why." Draco said calmly and Scorpius shrugged. "Is that what's really bothering you? That we didn't get married? Or are you missing her a little bit?"

Scorpius shrugged again, "Maybe. I miss her sometimes."

"Do you need to hear mum's story?" Draco asked.

Scorpius squirmed lower under the covers and nodded, "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. We can talk about her anytime you want, you know that." Draco said.

"Tell me the story Dad."

Draco took a breath and smiled down at his son, "Your mum and I were friends for a long time before we fell in love. In fact, I didn't really know if I would ever love her like I did since we were such good friends. But when I did realise that I loved her, I thought we'd be together forever. I wanted to marry her right away, but we had to finish school first. When we did finish school, we took some time off and travelled the world with Uncle Blaise and had lots of fun. When we came back we went off to University and after we'd settled in there, we got a very big surprise."

"Me," Scorpius giggled and Draco nodded in agreement.

"You." He ran his hand across his son's head, "The best surprise we could ever ask for. And Uncle Blaise was even more excited than your mum and I were. She gave up school and decided to just be your mum. And we watched her belly grow and we could feel you kicking, and you kicked lots and lots. She always said you were very busy inside her tummy and she knew before you were even born that you would be a boy. Then one day, you decided it was time to be born. And I got to hold you first. You were tiny and you wriggled and squirmed, and you were very, very loud. But then mum held you and you were very quiet and calm. You knew straight away that she was your mum."

"And before you could get married she got sick."

"That's right, she got sick." Draco cradled Scorpius' head, "But she loved you so very much that she didn't want any medicine, because it would make her so sick that she wouldn't be able to hold you and cuddle you. And she knew she was far too sick to live for very long, so she wanted to spend all of her time with you. She was so brave and not scared at all. Your mum was very beautiful and very smart and she loved to laugh. And she had a smile that would light up a room. You have the same smile and laugh that she had."

"And when she died we were all very sad?"

"Yes, very sad. Especially Grandma and Grandpa. But they were so very happy to have you; they said it was like she was still with us. And I know just how proud of you she would be."

Scorpius rolled to his side and tucked his hands under his cheek, "Dad, do you think that mum would like Hermione?"

"Oh, she definitely would." Draco nodded enthusiastically, "She would see how much Hermione loves you and how much fun you have together and I'm sure that mum would be happy that we found her."

"Did you know Hermione lived here when we moved here?"

Draco laughed, "No. She was another big surprise."

"Why was she a surprise?"

"Well, I never thought I would ever meet anyone like her. She's very special."

"Are you ever gonna marry her?"

Draco smiled, it had been a while since this subject had come up. "One day, maybe. Why?"

"You tell Hermione all the time that you love her and I just think you should be married."

"You're right, I do love her, but getting married isn't as easy you think. Not in this case anyway."

"Why?"

"You know how Hermione was married before she knew us?" Draco asked and Scorpius nodded, "The thing is, the man who was married to her didn't treat her very well and she might not want to get married again because of that."

"But you're not like that," Scorpius looked alarmed, "She doesn't think you'll be mean to her does she?"

"No, of course she doesn't think that," Draco assured his son, "But sometimes when someone is unkind to you, like he was to Hermione, it takes a long time to forget. And you always think that everyone else is the same."

"But we're not like that, Dad. She knows we love her and we would never be mean to her."

Draco sighed, Scorpius was too young to understand this and he wasn't exactly sure how to explain it to him in a way that he _would_ understand. He picked up his hand and kissed his son's fingers, "Scorp, I love Hermione very much and I do want to be married to her. I want to be with her forever. And I know how much you love her and you know that I would never hurt her and she knows that too. But we can't rush her, we have to wait until she's ready."

"What if she's never ready?"

"Well, then we'll just keep living here with her and we can be a family without us being married and nothing will change." Draco reassured him.

"Can you ask her?"

Draco laughed, "Ask her to marry me?"

"No," Scorpius rolled his eyes, "Ask her if she's ready to get married. Ask her and that way we'll know and if she's ready to get married you can ask her properly."

"What if she asks me?" Draco gave him a comical wide-eyed stare.

Scorpius laughed, "That's not how it works. You have to ask her. That's the rules."

"This is Hermione we're talking about," Draco pointed out, "She doesn't always play by the rules."

"But this time she has to." Scorpius said firmly, "You have to ask her."

"I'd better tell her the rules then. Just in case."

"Make sure you do," Scorpius' face was a picture of seriousness, "She'll ruin it otherwise."

"Okay, I'll make a deal with you." Draco was trying his hardest not to laugh at his son's request, "I'll talk with her, and ask her to let us know when she's ready. But we can't hassle her about this. Okay?"

Scorpius gave him a single nod and Draco kissed the top of his head, "I love you Dad."

"I love you too Scorp."

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked when Draco finally returned and sat beside her on the couch, "You were a while with him tonight."

Draco nodded and linked his fingers with hers, "Yeah, he gets a little..." he shrugged, "Not nostalgic, I guess, he doesn't remember her, but he always has questions and we always tell mum's story around his birthday."

Hermione squeezed his fingers, her slight concern at Scorpius' request for Draco to read completely disappearing. Scorpius' insistence that Draco read to him that night even though it was her turn made sense. He wanted to talk about his mother and she couldn't possibly have had that conversation with him.

"Do you miss her?" Draco looked surprised at her question, "She's the mother of your child and it's his birthday, its okay if you do."

"Not as much as I used to." Draco shifted closer to her and touched her thigh, "Besides, tonight he was more concerned about you."

Hermione frowned, "Is he not happy with his party?"

Draco laughed, "Not happy with a birthday party organised by his most favourite person on the planet? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't panic about that."

Hermione gave him an annoyed look.

"No, he's not worried about his party." Draco frowned and then took a deep breath, "He has the idea in his head that we need to get married, so we'll be together forever."

"Oh," Hermione said quietly.

"Hey, I'm not proposing here. But if I don't tell you what we talked about, he will. And I don't want you to think that there's a Malfoy conspiracy going on here to get you to marry me. He's just worried is all."

"Is he still worried that I'll leave?"

"No, I don't think it's that," Draco's lips twisted and he looked at her with a small frown on his face, "I think he's worried that if we don't get married, the same thing that happened to his mum, will happen to you." He held his hand up as Hermione opened her mouth to respond, "He knows she was sick, and that you're not. But I guess in his mind he thinks that since his mum and I never got married, us getting married will stop it from ever happening to you."

Hermione picked up the remote and turned the television off, "Is that something you want?"

"To be married?" Hermione nodded and he grinned, "To you?"

She slapped his arm, "Can you be serious?"

He twisted to face her and pulled her legs over his, his arm slipping across her waist to rest his hand on her hip. "It is exactly what I want. You have no idea just how happy you've made the both of us."

She sucked in a breath and felt her eyes fill with tears. She looked down at her lap, not wanting him to see her; he'd seen enough tears from her of late, regardless of the fact that her current tears were of the happy variety. But the thought of being married again, no matter how much she loved him, unsettled her stomach.

"Hey," he said quietly, cupping her jaw and lifting her face to look at him, "Like I said, no proposals. Not tonight. And not until you're ready."

"Draco, I'm not sure I'll ever be." She admitted and he nodded.

"And that's fine." He rubbed his hand along her thigh, "But you have to let me know if you are, because according to my son, the rule is I have ask you. You can't ask me."

"He said that?"

Draco nodded, "He did, and he'll be most displeased if you take it upon yourself to ask me."

She ran her hand along his forearm and tangled their fingers together, "I wouldn't anyway. I know I have strong opinion on most things, but there are some things that should remain traditional. You asking me is one of those."

Draco's stomach twisted and he swallowed hard in an attempt to keep from dropping to one knee and asking her right then. He'd simply meant to tell her what Scorpius had said, and leave it at that. He had not expected the conversation that they were now having. "You'd be open to this then?"

Hermione look down to their linked hands, and smiled back up at him, "I would be. But not right now."

He looked at her, watching her face as she smiled at him. He wondered if he would ever work out what she would say to surprise him next. Just when he thought he had her pegged, when he thought he knew all of her habits and what she would say next, she threw out a comment like _you have to ask me_ and had him almost leaping off the couch in joy.

But he retained his composure, remembering what he'd told Scorpius – _we can't rush her_ – and simply squeezed her fingers. "Not right now," he agreed, "But at some stage in the future, if I was to ask you, you would say...?"

Hermione laughed, "I'm not telling you that. That would ruin the surprise."

* * *

Clara had taken charge of getting the three sugared-up, hyperactive boys to sleep. Hermione had given up, and had resigned herself to the fact that she'd have three grumpy and sullen eight year olds to deal with in the morning. Clara had patted her arm and told her not to worry, that she'd have them asleep in no time, but going by the laughter and chatter that was coming from the library, Clara wasn't having any more success than she'd had.

The party, however, had been a huge success. Ten eight year olds had taken over the flat, loud and raucous, and Hermione was sure they would be finding foam bullets everywhere for the next month. After a lunch of all the things that Scorpius wasn't usually allowed to have - anything and everything that had as much sugar as possible – the boys, and Trevor, all retreated to the darkened library, popcorn and drinks in hand to watch The Lego Movie.

Hermione had brought up the bean bag chairs from the children's reading area in the shop and had transformed the library into a movie theatre. She'd recruited Theo and had him set up the screen and projector, and had completely blacked out the entire room. She'd also placed a mini Lego kit in each of the boy's bean bags, and they were all suitably impressed.

She and Draco had invited the motley crew of friends that they called their family to have dinner with them after all the boys but James and Teddy had left, extending Scorpius' birthday even longer much to his delight, and it had stretched much later than anticipated, with Harry and Ginny, Pansy and Theo and even Katie and Cedric enjoying Scorpius' grandparents company so much that they had all lost track of time and were surprised to find that it was almost midnight before they all knew it.

The biggest surprise, however, was when Scorpius had run to the door hours earlier and excitedly announced that Uncle Blaise was here, and he had a _girl_ with him. Alicia had arrived with him, unbeknownst to all – even Katie – the pair had been seeing each other for the three months since their meeting on New Years. They had left much earlier - apologising that they had a long drive home - much to the amusement of Draco, who had whispered to Hermione that he never thought he'd ever see the day the Blaise Zabini would leave a party early, even if it was only that of an eight year old.

Hermione had refused the offers of help to clean up, sending everyone on their way. But Cuthbert insisted on helping, and stood beside her at the sink helping her with the dishes while Draco was taking the bean bags chairs back downstairs to the shop.

"Draco mentioned the latest dinner with his parents actually went well," Cuthbert said with a glint in his eye.

"Yes, surprisingly well," Hermione said with a smile, "It was as though someone had warned them to be on their best behaviour."

"Interesting," he laughed, "I wonder who might have told them that?"

'Hmm, I wonder indeed." Hermione picked up a towel and dried her hands. She leaned back on the island and folded her arms across her chest. "I've been told that someone who is ordinarily a big cuddly bear turns grizzly when poked with a stick. Do you have any idea who that might be?"

Cuthbert simply laughed and patted her cheek, "He sounds like someone not to be messed with."

"Oh, I'm sure that Lucius is regretting poking that grizzly bear."

Cuthbert laughed, "You'd think after all this time he'd learn."

"Thank you," she said, "Not just for me, but Draco as well. It made what could have been another horrendous evening much more bearable."

Cuthbert held his giant hands out to her and she took them, "You, my dear, are the best thing to happen to those boys. I know that Clara told you the same, but I want you to hear it from me as well. And it's about time that Lucius and Narcissa took their heads out of their arses and saw more in their son than disappointment.

"My daughter..." he paused and briefly closed his eyes. Hermione squeezed his hands and he smiled at her, "We never expected him to be on his own forever, we hoped that he wouldn't be. All we did hope for was that he found someone who loved him, and loved Scorpius just as much. And you do. You love that child like he's your own. I watched you with him today, I watched _him_ with you today, and he loves you more than anything. Astoria would be so pleased that they found you. So there's no need to thank me, I did nothing more than what was needed."

"And what was needed?"

He winked at her, "What was needed, my dear, was for those two to be pulled into line. They look down their noses at everyone, and in doing so, they miss seeing people for who they really are. I imagine that Lucius was impressed with you by the time he left?" Hermione grinned, "I thought so. He had no clue as to just how successful you've are because he is too busy being disappointed in his son. Too busy trying to make Draco's life so difficult that he would give up teaching and go to work for him."

"Is he so stupid to realise that won't ever happen?"

"Apparently," Cuthbert said, "So I told him in no uncertain terms that since we love you, it was about time that they did the same."

"Are you trying to steal my girlfriend?" Draco said making them both jump. He nodded at their linked hands, "Because if you are, you'll have a fight on your hands."

Cuthbert pulled Hermione into a hug making her laugh, "No, I'm just telling her how wonderful she is. So wonderful that I'm considering offering her a job, which I guess _would_ mean stealing her away."

Hermione's face flushed and she hugged him back, "So that big cuddly bear story was true?"

Cuthbert laughed, "Just don't provoke me."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."

Clara came back into the kitchen, a look of defeat in her face, "I don't think they're going to sleep for three days."

Cuthbert chuckled and hugged an arm around her shoulders, chiding his wife good-naturedly, "Ah, you've lost that magic touch, I see."

"Magic touch? You'd need a magic wand to make those three calm down," she let out a frustrated breath, "We'll have three very tired and cranky boys to deal with in the morning."

"Maybe they'll sleep until noon," Draco said hopefully, glancing at the clock.

"I doubt it," Hermione wrapped an arm around his back, "Scorpius has been waiting all week for the boys to stay, he's going to want to make the most of it."

"I think you're right," Draco groaned.

"Well, in that case, its bed time for the grown-ups too." Cuthbert said with a laugh.

"Thank you both for all your help." Hermione said hugging each of them in turn.

"You don't have to thank us," Clara told her, "You did all this yourself. We just showed up. We should be thanking you for doing all of this for him."

Her lips twisted into an embarrassed smile, "I was happy to do it for him."

Draco snorted a laugh, "You weren't saying that a week ago."

"Don't listen to him. You did a marvellous job." Clara said squeezing her arm affectionately. "Now, don't get up too early. Enjoy a sleep in and we'll have breakfast ready for you both."

Cuthbert screwed his face up comically, "No sleep in for this cuddly bear then."

* * *

After a final check on the still whispering boys, Hermione flopped down onto the bed, a gush of air rushing from her lungs. "They're not ever going to go to sleep."

"I'm sure they will eventually," Draco kissed her cheek, "You're sleeping in your clothes then?"

"Yes," she groaned, "I'm not going to move for a week. I wasn't aware that an eight year old's birthday party would be so draining."

Draco kicked his jeans off and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He ran his hand along the hem of her shirt, "Do you need me to help you undress?"

She raised her head and narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't even think about it."

He pulled back the covers and lay under them. He brushed his finger across her cheek, "I'm not thinking anything. I was just going to help you undress since you're so exhausted."

"Yeah, yeah. A likely story." she groaned, pushing herself up and slowly stripping off. She curled herself into the mattress, Draco spooning against her, his hands snaking around her and drawing slow circles on her stomach. She sighed and closed her eyes.

He kissed her cheek and nuzzled his nose into her hair, pushing it aside and hooking his chin over her shoulder, "You're amazing, you know that?"

She tilted her head back and hummed in response, "Two very handsome men tell me that quite often."

He shifted behind her, placing warm kisses across her shoulder. He knew that she was exhausted and close to sleep, but he wanted to tell her. "I mean it. He'll be talking about this for weeks.

"Just glad he had fun," she murmured, her voice was slow and sleepy.

She rolled to face him, her eyes heavy and drooping. She slipped her hand across his chest, his stomach and finally she flung her arm across his waist and wormed her leg between his, snuggling closer. She pillowed her head on his bicep and Draco's fingers lazily skimmed across her back, his lips pressing to her forehead. He ran his hand through her hair, and she murmured his name. It was a quiet, humming sound that he loved, the ease at which his name rolled off her tongue, the comfort at which he felt as the sound washed over him.

He wasn't lying. She was amazing. She was more that he could have ever wished for, for both he and his son. And he loved her even more after everything she'd done. Not only for Scorpius, but she had welcomed Astoria's parents into her home, had made them feel welcome. It was something she truly didn't have to do. She had told him how perfect he was – even when she was angry – but he was sure he didn't come close to her.

They lay together not moving, the quiet settling around them in the dark room. Draco felt her relax, and he shut his own eyes, but he couldn't sleep. He was still in overwhelmed awe of what she had done for his son. Her concerns about not being his mother were truly pointless after the day they'd had. She had gone above and beyond to make Scorpius' day truly all about him.

All the nervous worrying she had done over him not loving the party she had planned was for nothing. He could see in his sons face all day, and late into what would most likely be a long night, the excitement of a birthday party he couldn't have imagined. Football in the park, or a day at the movies was Draco's best effort, but his own movie theatre (of sorts), and the raucous fun and games that she had organised; there was space in her flat for the boys to wrestle and play and shoot foam bullets at each other had been more than Scorpius could have wanted.

She hadn't gone overboard, not at all. She had simply taken all the things Scorpius loved and made them even more fun. His actual birthday wasn't until Monday, so his gift from them was safely hidden in their closet. He smiled to himself. _Their gift._ The one they would give him together. The one with the card that didn't just say _From Dad_ , instead it read _From Dad and Hermione._

He had assumed she'd dropped off, but her murmured _Thank you_ startled him.

"For what?"

"For letting me do this for him," She pressed her lips to his chest. "For letting me be..."

Draco waited, but her sentence hung in the air, unfinished. The silence in the darkened room stretched between them, and he wasn't sure of just what she had intended to say. The tension of the previous week had left her and he wondered.

"Did you like being a mum?" He dared and then held his breath.

She nodded against his chest and whispered, "I liked being his mum."

Draco's face split into a wide smile, "I like you being his mum." He whispered back, and he hoped that she would remember this conversation in her half-asleep state. He trailed his hand through her hair, his fingers coming to rest on the nape of her neck and caressing her gently, his touch lulling her to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews. Always appreciated.**


	21. Chapter 21

_"_ _Hermione! Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!" Draco cried, "Stop!"_

 _Hermione glanced up at him and pulled her mouth from his cock, kissing the tip and making him shudder, "You okay?"_

 _He was breathing hard. He looked down and shuddered again. His cock was like steel, swollen and full and the head dark and angry, ready to explode. "If you keep doing that, this will all be over and I won't get to fuck you into oblivion."_

 _"But I know how much you love it." Hermione dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, pursing them into pout, "And it's your birthday, I just want to make it special for you."_

* * *

It was a two weeks before Draco's birthday, and Hermione was at a loss as to how he would want to celebrate. Scorpius' party back in April had been easy, in hindsight, but Draco had her stumped. Birthdays had been a big deal with her parents, and she wanted to make sure he celebrated properly

He had told her not to make a fuss when she broached the subject a few days earlier. He didn't need anything, he had everything he wanted right here. He had his son and he had her. He was happy. Of course she had ignored him, and just smiled every time he asked her what she was planning, but she wasn't actually planning anything. She had no idea what to do for him.

"Scorpius?" She was making dinner with him before Draco arrived home, and thought it the perfect opportunity to question him as to how they celebrated previously. She figured it probably wouldn't be the celebrations she was used to, since it was really only the two of them, but she was curious nonetheless. "I was thinking about how we should celebrate your dad's birthday, do you have any ideas?"

Scorpius screwed up his face and shrugged his shoulders.

"Scorpius?"

"Um, Dad hates his birthday. Grandma and Grandpa never visit him, and ever since mum died he just gets sad. He doesn't like to celebrate much. "

"Oh," Hermione grimaced.

"It's okay," He smiled at her, "We usually just have pizza and watch a movie. We could do that."

She returned his smile, "That sounds perfect."

She continued making dinner, telling Scorpius that he could go and play with Trevor and he scampered off. She sighed. She hadn't even considered that Astoria might be the reason for his lack of enthusiasm regarding his birthday. She hadn't even thought it might be because of his parents. She had just thought it odd. And it now it occurred to her that doing something for him, even something simple, might be upsetting, and she didn't want that.

She also now understood the panicked look in his eyes when she had mentioned it. But she didn't want the day to go unrecognised. It was his birthday, and he deserved to celebrate. She would organise something simple, something that wouldn't cause him any grief; no fuss, no ado, no loud and crazy partying, and while pizzas and a movie were fine, it just didn't seem like enough.

Her options were slim, but she was sure she could come up with something suitable, and she was sure that Blaise would be the answer.

"This place smells amazing," Draco said, making her jump. He'd called to say he would be late, a faculty meeting was taking longer than expected. He peeked over her shoulder, "I think I might have some competition here."

"Butternut squash and Cauliflower curry," she explained with a smile. He smiled back, kissing her, and her stomach flipped, making her wonder if he would ever not have that effect on her.

"Hi Dad!" Scorpius called from his place on the floor where he was throwing a balled-up piece of paper across the room for Trevor to chase. Hermione often wondered if Trevor had been a dog in a previous life since he behaved more like a dog than he did a cat.

"Hi Scorp," he said with a smile that turned smug when the cat noticed him and made its way directly to him. Draco bent to pick him up, "Hi Trevor."

"Still doesn't mean you're his favourite," Scorpius grumped, making his way over to them.

With the exception of sleeping on Scorpius' bed each night, Trevor had taken to following Draco everywhere. And Draco had taken to bragging that he was indeed Trevor's favourite.

"Did you hear that Trevor?" Draco stage whispered to the cat, "Scorp doesn't think I'm your favourite."

"Da-ad," Scorpius whined, "Don't tell him that. He loves us all."

Hermione grinned and agreed with him, "Yeah Draco, don't tell him that. The boys were playing nicely until you came home and ruined it."

"I ruined nothing," Draco scoffed, "This cat is highly intelligent and knows exactly who he should worship."

"Worship?" Hermione snorted, "How ever did you manage to get that ego through the door?"

Draco grinned, "It's a skill."

Hermione pursed her lips and shot him an incredulous glare. He leaned over and kissed her pout and she couldn't help but laugh, "Fine," she said, "But just remember whenever teams are required around here, it's me and Scorp versus you and Trevor. We'll see who the favourite is then."

Draco put Trevor on the floor and he scampered off, "What have you two been up to this afternoon?"

"We we talking about what we do on your birthday," Scorpius explained innocently and Hermione winced, "Hermione asked me what we should do and I told her we just get pizza and watch a movie."

"I hope she thinks that's a great idea," Draco said to Scorpius, but all the time was watching Hermione.

"She said it would be perfect!" Scorpius said excitedly, "Maybe we can get Theo to set up the theatre again?"

"Well, that's what I was going to do," Hermione said with a scowl at Draco. She could tell he knew that she had checked with Scorpius to see what she could do for this birthday, but had not counted on his son relaying the information to him. Just one more thing on the learning curve of having an eight year old; they can't keep secrets.

"Seriously?" Scorpius looked as though he didn't want to hope to hard.

Hermione nodded, "I'll talk to him next week and we'll set it up."

"Woo hoo!" Scorpius cried and threw his arms around her.

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed, "Whose birthday is it?"

"You get to pick the movie." Scorpius said with a grin.

"As long as it's Iron Man, right?"

"Yay!" Scorpius cheered, "We get to watch Iron man."

Draco's mouth dropped open and then snapped shut, Hermione laughed, "I think you just got conned."

* * *

"It feels like there's something I'm missing here," Draco said, allowing Hermione to lead him towards what he'd supposed was their dinner destination, "Or it's just an uneasy feeling that makes me think you're up to something?"

She told him that she'd made dinner reservations for his birthday at new farmer's alliance pub that had just opened two towns over. She loved the idea of the local farmers being supported, but he questioned her choice since she was vegetarian. She had laughed, explaining with a hint of sarcasm that some farms grew vegetables, so they had non-meat options.

"I'm up to nothing," she told him, "It's just dinner."

"Yeah, right," he drawled.

She grinned at him and opened the pub door, gesturing for him to follow her inside. He narrowed his eyes at her and then braced himself for whatever she had organised. But he was pleasantly surprised when he stepped through the door and noticed immediately their friends sitting off to the right of the bar. The usual crowd was there, but there were several faces that he'd not seen in some time, and his smile widened.

"Are you mad at me?" Hermione asked as they approached the table.

He paused and looked at her with eyes full of emotion. He certainly wasn't angry or upset, but was definitely happily surprised. He kissed her, laughing at the wolf whistles that followed. "No, definitely not mad. This is perfect, thank you."

Along with the usual crowd, Blaise and Alicia were there, looking extremely cosy, along with two of his other childhood friends; Marcus and his wife Rowena, and Anthony and his partner Dean. Hermione had called Blaise and asked if there were any of his friends that would want to join them for the weekend, and the pair had become co-conspirators in organising a simple dinner with old (and new) friends.

"Hey!" Marcus called, "It's the birthday boy!"

Draco manoeuvred around the table to greet his friends, hugging Marcus with a shoulder bump, and almost losing his footing when Rowena engulfed him.

"Happy birthday Draco," She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "She's perfect."

Draco grinned at her, "Isn't she?"

He turned to Anthony and extended his hand, giving him a somewhat curt nod, "Anthony."

Anthony returned the gesture, nodding and shaking his hand, "Draco."

Then the pair burst out laughing and embraced, while Hermione and her friends watched on in quiet confusion.

"Don't ever let her go." Anthony said close to his ear.

"I don't plan to," Draco told him, clearly there had been some scheming involved in this dinner, and they'd obviously all met Hermione before arriving here.

Dean stood to greet him, laughing."Good to see you so happy," He said, hugging him and placing a smacking kiss on his cheek, "Little Draco's finally happy too, I'm assuming?"

Draco groaned and shook his head, "Really? Two minutes and we're already below the belt?"

Dean clapped him on the shoulder and then waved his hand towards the rest of the group, "We've spent the afternoon with these charming people and the conversation has not yet risen above the belt."

Draco noted that Pansy was sitting beside Dean, and nodded towards her, "Ah, it makes sense now."

As soon as they had finally sat down, Theo ordered several bottles of wine which had Draco frowning.

"That's a rubbish effort if legless is the goal for tonight," Marcus said waving down the waiter again, and explaining that he didn't wish to see and empty bottle on the table tonight.

"Is there a problem, mate?" Blaise asked with an amused grin.

"Um, I was just assuming that there are some of us driving tonight?" Draco said looking confused.

Hermione squeezed his thigh, "And that's the rest of your surprise. This pub is also a B and B, so we're all staying here for the night."

Draco's confusion turned to bewilderment. He twisted a loose strand of her hair around his finger, "How did you manage to do all this?"

She nodded towards Blaise, "I may have had some help."

His face dropped, "What about Scorp? Does he know we're staying overnight?"

Hermione placed her hand on his arm and nodded, "He does, and he's perfectly okay with it. Molly and Arthur know where we are and we're not that far from home if anything goes wrong. He was more annoyed that he couldn't see this lot today. So I made them promise to follow us home and see him tomorrow."

"Wait. He knew?" Draco looked surprised, his son wasn't known for his ability to keep a secret. "And he didn't tell me?"

"Nope." Blaise told him and indicated towards Hermione, "Someone here managed to convince him that you would love this and we should definitely not tell you."

They'd spent the previous night with Scorpius – Draco's actual birthday – eating pizza and watching movies, and convincing Draco that this was his birthday celebration. Exactly what he wanted, they told him; a quiet night with his two favourite people.

Scorpius was well aware of Hermione's plans, and had been excited that his father's friends were all coming to town. And he was equally excited that he knew of the surprise and that Draco didn't. It had been how Hermione had convinced him to keep it a secret; that he knew and Draco didn't and it would be so much fun for him to find all his friends waiting for him at the pub.

Draco turned to Hermione, amazed that she was able to convince his son of such, "I've told you that you're amazing, right?"

"Not today."

He kissed her and whispered, _you're amazing_ , against her lips.

"Don't worry, you get used to it," Harry said noticing the wide-eyed looks from Draco's friends.

"We're not _that_ bad." Hermione said, but her cheeks had a pink tinge to them.

"Oh no, you are," Ginny said, "It's a little bit disturbing really."

"I told you they were adorable," Blaise cut in, "So adorable it makes you want to vomit."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at him and then looked at Alicia, "Hello pot, this is kettle."

Blaise grinned and flung his arm around Alicia's shoulders, kissing her temple, "Happy to join the vomit inducing crowd."

"Do you want to fill us in on that handshake?" Katie asked, and Draco and Anthony looked at each other and laughed.

"Things got a bit awkward for these two a while back," Blaise sniggered, "Draco has no desire to see a naked male arse ever again."

They all turned to Draco who grimaced and shuddered, "You know Scorp's knock before entering rule? Well, I should have had that in place in my Uni days."

"No, you didn't?" Katie said and began to laugh.

"Oh, he most certainly did." Dean said with a grin, "Walked in on us in, let's just say, a delicate situation."

"And he wouldn't look either of us in the eye for weeks," Anthony added, "Only awkward handshakes for quite some time."

Pansy was still laughing when she asked, "So Hermione's arse in the air was not really awkward for you at all then?"

Rowena almost choked on her wine and their attention turned to Hermione, "Excuse me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "How is it that you all don't know this story? He seems happy to tell everyone else." She looked at Draco questioningly.

"She was under the desk-" Draco began, but was cut off by Dean.

"Ooh, I'm liking this already."

Draco shook his head at him and huffed out a breath, "She was under the desk at the shop, and she thought I was her coffee delivery girl."

"And she told him to 'just shove it in the rear and she'd get to it later!'" Pansy finished for him.

There were a few seconds of silence before they erupted into laughter. "And did you?" Marcus asked with a sly smile.

Hermione shook her head and laughed, telling him _No, he did not,_ and causing them to all laugh again.

A waiter placed three more bottles on the table and removed the empties, while another took their orders, they were clearly going to be looked after tonight, and Draco wondered just how much Hermione was spending to have all this attention.

Harry lifted his glass, "Happy Birthday Draco."

Draco nodded his thanks and reached forward, waiting to clink glasses. They all followed suit and tapped theirs to his, wishing him the same.

And then Blaise chimed in and made them all groan again, "To friends, old and new. May they not be offended when they see your arse in the air."

* * *

Draco's arm was draped lazily across the back of Hermione's chair, his fingers stroking absently at the nape of her neck. Alicia and Blaise had already excused themselves, and Katie and Cedric had followed not long after. And she knew Draco would love to haul her away from the table and up to their room, but he was far too polite to simply leave his friends, especially since this was the first meeting between them all. But she didn't think he needed to worry. Rowena's cheeks were pink and she and Ginny were both laughing and snorting at something Anthony had just said, and the guys were all conversing like old friends. Hermione was pleased that they were all getting along famously. It boded well for future dinners.

Hermione also hadn't missed the looks and the silent conversation that appeared to happen throughout the night between Draco's friends. The covert gazes, the smiles and nods, the raised eyebrows, they were noticing every little touch or whisper that she and Draco had shared. As much time as her friends spent concerning themselves with her life, his seemed to do the same.

Rowena had insisted that they order cocktails after dessert, but after the sweetness of the dessert wine, and the desert itself, Hermione had wanted to say no, sugary-sweet cocktails didn't appeal to her at all. She didn't have very much of a sweet tooth and had struggled to finish her dessert - Draco having eaten most of it for her.

She reached her hand to Draco's thigh, her thumb stroking against the inside of his knee, and she smiled noting him shifting in his seat, moving closer to her so their legs were touching.

She had also noted that he had almost stopped drinking; sipping slowly from his glass in the hope that no one else would notice. He'd been casually watching her from the corner of his eye for the last twenty minutes or so, his tells were becoming more and more known to her, and she knew he was wanting the evening to wind down, wanting time alone with just her. And she was ready to be alone with him herself.

His eyes searched hers and he smiled. She paused before leaning in close, "What are you thinking?"

Draco's voice was warm and soft in her ear, "I'm thinking about how I could possibly thank you for doing all of this."

She smiled mischievously at him, "I could think of a few ways." Her hand shifted higher on his thigh and she kissed him.

"Hey! Hands above the table there, young lady," Anthony pointed at her, "We'll have none of those shenanigans here. If you're going to get all handsy, take our boy here upstairs."

Hermione laughed - apparently Anthony also knew Draco's tells - and held her hands up in surrender. Draco grabbed the hand that had just vacated his thigh and placed it back, "Don't listen to him. He's simply jealous that he's not getting any attention."

Dean and Pansy had hit it off immediately. The two acting like life-long chums since the night began. The fact that they both had mouths that put sailors to shame might have had something to do with it. Theo was far too immersed in conversation with Marcus and Harry to even notice Pansy and Dean, and the way that Anthony had had the rest of them in tears of laughter meant he wasn't concerned either about Dean and Pansy either, leaving the pair to both act like twelve year olds.

Ginny waved a drunken finger at them, "Yeah, don't do that here," she slurred, "Go upstairs. But don't get loud, we don't want to hear you either."

Harry tossed a set of keys across the table, he'd checked them all in before Hermione and Draco had arrived, "Last room at the end of the hall," he said before grinning at them, "And the room next to you is empty."

"And on that note, I think I'm ready for bed," Draco said sliding his seat back and holding his hand out to Hermione, "Ready?"

She stood and took his hand, "Ready," she smiled and after a round of _good nights_ and a _yeah right, bed_ from Dean, they walked hand in hand towards the stairs.

* * *

Hermione opened the door to their room and lead them inside.

"You packed clothes?" Draco said seeing the overnight bag on the bed. She nodded and he let out a small laugh and reached his arms around her, "You're incredible. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome," she told him, "It's your birthday Draco, and I know you didn't want me to make a fuss but-"

He stopped her with his mouth, pressing his lips to hers, "Thank you," He said again, "This was perfect."

"Your friends are great, by the way."

"And it would appear that they are all completely in love with you," he said, brushing her hair back behind her ear and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you did this. It was good to see them all."

"So it was low-key enough for you?"

"Scorp may have been exaggerating when he said I didn't like to celebrate my birthday." He said, "It's not the easiest thing to do when you're a single dad. It was just easier to stay home with him."

"This was the first birthday dinner you've had in a while then?"

Draco nodded, "Those guys always try to do something for me, but it's usually just joining me and Scorp. Simple."

"Well, I'm glad I could do this for you," She smiled at him, "Give me a minute," she said and stepped out of his arms, crossing the room headed for the small bathroom.

"Did you want me naked when you come back?" Draco asked with a smirk.

She peeked over her shoulder and shrugged, "I'll leave that up to you." She said and disappeared into the small bathroom.

Draco stared at the closed door for several seconds, his heart pounding in his chest. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He felt like he learned something new about her every day, and that she was able to do this for him without his knowledge was just one more thing to add to the list.

Draco reached behind his neck and pulled his shirt over his head, his jeans were next, but he decided to leave his boxers on, she could remove those from him. He tossed his discarded clothes over the back of a chair and sat on the bed, his back resting against the headboard. He absently scratched at his belly and then slid his hand lower, shoving his hand down the front of his boxers. He closed his eyes, letting his head loll back and let out a long exhale.

His hand moved lazily over himself and his mind wandered, thinking of what she could possibly be wearing under her clothes. He hadn't seen her when she'd dressed for dinner, and he wondered exactly what she had planned.

"You started without me?" Hermione asked quietly.

He smiled and opened his eyes. And then opened his eyes wider. She was naked. _Completely fucking naked_.

She dimmed the lights, shrouding the room in a diffused light and tilted her head, "Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head, all words seeming to have left him, his eyes not leaving her as she crossed the room and stood at the foot of the bed. His eyes trailed over her, taking in her breasts, her stomach, the bare skin at the top of her thighs. He swallowed hard, she was bare. He took a second for that to sink in. She was bare. The thin strip of curls that normally sat above her slit was gone. Bare. _Bloody Hell!_

His eyes returned to hers and found her smiling at him, "You didn't want to get naked?"

He coughed quietly, "Ah, yeah. Okay." His hands shoved at his underwear, his cock springing free and landing on his thigh. He hurriedly shoved them down his legs, kicking them from his feet.

Hermione laughed quietly, "And there's the articulate man I fell in love with." She knelt on the end of the bed and slowly crawled towards him, parting his legs with her palms and began kissing her way along the insides of his thighs.

Draco clenched his jaw. She'd only just started and already his mind was spinning. He wanted her mouth on him, wanted to pull her closer, wanted her over him, under him, wanted to be inside her. Wanted all of it and more. His stomach tightened as she inched closer and close to his rapidly growing length. He sucked in a breath when she glanced up at him, holding his eyes as she placed a single kiss on his shaft.

She slid over him, her knees straddling his hips. His cock sat rigid on his belly, her wet folds encased him and she slowly moved across him. He grabbed her hips, holding her still, closing his eyes and groaning at how wet she already was.

Her fingernails scraped through his hair and her lips pressed softly against his ear. "Happy birthday," she murmured, "And just so you know, and just so you never forget how much I love you, I'm about to do things to you that you could never have imagined."

His lips twitched and he nodded, but didn't open his eyes, instead he simply felt her. Felt her lips brush against his, over and over, each kiss with just a bit more force than the one before. She moved her hips again, sliding over him and this time he didn't stop moved slowly, gliding over him while his hands coasted up and down her thighs.

Her fingers softly trailed over the smooth skin of his body, tracing circles around his tightened nipples. She pressed a kiss to his throat, moving lower and lower, taking his right nipple between her lips and sucking. His hands stilled on her thighs, his fingers gripping tightly.

"Oh shit!" he swore throwing his head back, "Yeah, like that."

She increased the pressure, and used her fingers to flick over his left nipple.

"Harder," he demanded and groaned in pleasure when she bit down.

Slowly, she kissed her way down his torso, her fingers still flicking over his pebbled nipples. She outlined each ripple of muscles with her tongue, circled his belly button and dipped lower, kissing each of his hips, before working her way back up.

Her teeth dug into her lip, and she smiled an innocent smile, "This isn't too much effort for your birthday, is it?"

He was breathing deeply through his nose, scorching, blatant desire in his eyes, "No, you're not putting nearly enough effort in."

She kissed him softly, "Best I up my game then." She shot him a sinful look, and shifted to kneel on the bed between his legs.

She reached for him, surrounding his erection with her fingers and leaned down to place kisses along the length of it. She gently eased his foreskin back and her tongue licked out softly, barely touching the exposed tip. His head dropped back and he moaned loudly. She flicked her tongue across him again and again, teasing, before taking him in completely, deeper and deeper until he was almost fully encased in her mouth.

His hand hovered above her head, and then he gently raked his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear so he could watch her mouth. He grunted as she drew back, sucking hard, moving her hand to the base of his shaft, twisting it around the solid length of him as her mouth moved faster. His hands gathered up her hair, holding it back from her face and a trembling groaned that resembled her name fell from his mouth.

"Hermione! Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!" Draco cried, "Stop!"

Hermione glanced up at him and pulled her mouth from his cock, kissing the tip and making him shudder, "You okay?"

He was breathing hard. He looked down and shuddered again. His cock was like steel, swollen and full and the head dark and angry, ready to explode. "If you keep doing that, this will all be over and I won't get to fuck you into oblivion."

"But I know how much you love it." Hermione dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, pursing them into pout, "And it's your birthday, I just want to make it special for you."

She lowered her head again, her eyes never leaving his and drew a trail with her tongue from root to tip, grinning as he shut his eyes. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, and she could almost see the indecision behind his eyes. The want to let her do this, or the need to stop her and take control.

He fisted the sheets as she licked across his sac, his balls tightening at the sensation. He swore loudly when her fingers fondled the soft skin and slowly flicked her tongue over the tight crown, tasting the sweetness leaking from the tip. She glanced up at him, whispering his name. His eyes rolled open and she told him, _watch,_ then parted her lips over him and took him into her mouth.

Her hand worked in time with her mouth, twisting and spiralling as her mouth bobbed up and down. She smiled around him when his hands gripped her hair tighter, hoping that this time, _this time_ , he would take control and fuck into her mouth. She moved faster, sliding her tongue across the bump where his foreskin joined the head and he hissed out a breath. She licked it repeatedly, until his hips are moving in tiny little thrusts.

He grunted, fisting her hair harder and jerking against her. "Hermione." He warned.

"Draco." She said sweetly pulling away from him, and then squealed in surprise as he flipped her to her back and latched onto her nipple, sucking with the same fervour as she had just shown him. " _Oh!_ Fuck, yes!" she whimpered as his tongue rimmed her nipple, his fingers pinching at the other.

Hermione arched her back thrust her breasts against his mouth and hand, and yelped as he bit down at the skin over her heart.

"Too much?" Draco whispered.

"No," She breathed, "Don't stop."

His tongue lapped gently at the red mark he'd left on her skin, smiling to himself, not ever thinking that he'd mark a woman as he'd done to her. Her fingers slid through his hair and he looked up at her finding her smiling down at him. He returned her smile and moved over her, dropping a soft kiss to her lips. He pulled back, biting down on his lower lip and cupping her breast again with his hand.

"Draco," she gasped, and shoved at his shoulder, "Please let me-"

"I'm going to put my mouth on you," His voice rumbled as he stopped her, knowing exactly what she was going to say – _let me do this for you_ – but it wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was her, the taste of her, the feel of her, the heat of her beneath him. "You're going to come all over my tongue, and then I'm going to fuck you hard and fast."

Hermione locked her eyes onto his, dark and heavy with desire, a rush of arousal poured low into her belly soaking her core and she could do little else but nod when he asked, _are you ready?_

He teased her, taking his time, slipping a finger through her seam and deliberately missing the spot she wanted him most. He kissed her belly, her thighs, her hips, and finally dropped his head between her thighs.

 _Fuck me sideways,_ was her only thought when his mouth descended on her, his tongue finally landing right where she needed it. His name came out as a growl but turned into a choked cry when she felt his finger slip into her.

His tongue circled and flicked, his lips sucking and pulling, adding another finger inside her. She arched against him, pivoting her hips against his thrusting fingers. His free hand flattened against her stomach, holding her in place, his tongue moving faster, his fingers curling and pressing against that spot that sent pleasure spinning through her.

She was gasping for breath and clutching at his hair, her heels digging into his back as her body coiled and clenched. His fingers didn't stop thrusting, his mouth still covering her when she fell, groaning his name and clamping her thighs against his head.

He dropped his forehead to her hip, murmuring against her, telling her how fucking amazing she was, how beautiful she was, how much he loved her. He moved over her, pressing himself to her, her hardened nipples crushed beneath his chest. She raised her knees and his cock came to rest between her heated slit, the crown pressing directly against her swollen clit.

His mouth landed on hers, strong and possessive, his tongue stroking her lips. Hermione's hands clutched at his hair, her own mouth demanding more. Tiny whimpers and groans escaped her throat, her body writhing against his, the sounds and movements driving him mad. His instincts took over all reason and he shifted his hips, the crown of his cock slipping lower and pressing against her.

His mouth never left hers as he pushed inside her, his tongue rolled over hers as his cock filled her. He shifted his hips, back and forth, feeling her dip and rise beneath him. Her arms circled his shoulders and her face pressed into his neck. He lifted her leg, pressing it to her ribs, pushing in deeper, almost frantic to get closer to her. Her stomach clenched and she winced, "Okay?" he whispered and she nodded, murmured _yes_ , and rocked against him.

Draco moved faster, kissing her chest, her throat, her jaw, until she begged for his mouth over hers. He slid his tongue past her lips, biting down gently on hers when she gasped. Her legs squeezed hard around him, and her breathless whimpers became sharp cries. Her head pressed back into the pillow and she bucked beneath him, her hands pressing against his chest trying to push him away.

"Not yet," he whispered, "I promised you oblivion."

Her eyes flew open and she gripped his hair, "Draco, I can't," she breathed.

"Yes you can," he said, his lips kissing her over her heart. He began moving again, slowly, knowing she would be sensitive, but knowing she wanted more. He wanted more.

A breathy sound escaped her and she shuddered, her walls still fluttering around him. His hands slid to hers, linking their fingers and circling them above her head. He kept the pace slow, grinding into her, their sweaty bodies sliding together with ease.

Her stomach clenched and she tightening around his length with a sharp cry.

"That's it," he murmured, "That's it, don't stop."

She gasped, and he kissed away the tear that fell from the corner of her eye. She was trembling, her breaths ragged and sharp, and he felt her clench around him again, her thighs gripping his hips, her breath coming in sobbing gasps, before she relaxed beneath him.

She slowly opened her eyes. He hadn't come, she knew he hadn't. He was still solid and heavy inside her, panting hard, the tendons in his neck straining.

"Draco?" she said breathlessly.

He grunted and pushed up from her. He dropped his eyes to where they were joined and slid slowly out of her, causing both of them to shudder. Hermione looked down at him, still hard, red and pulsing and covered in her.

She looked back up at him and he was watching her, his eyes asking a silent question. She traced a finger along his length, "Do you want me to...?"

He swallowed and nodded, "Is that..?"

She pushed at his chest, and he moved to lay beside her, and she thought she'd never seen him look as beautiful as he did right in that moment. His skin was flushed, covered with sweat, and his eyes were dark and wanting, but also nervous, awaiting what she was about to do.

Still slightly breathless, she shifted to kneel beside his hip. Lifting him in her fist, she squeezed him and pumped her hand over his heavy length still slick with her arousal. She lowered her mouth to him, sweeping her tongue across the plump, swollen head. Her taste mingled with his, salty and tangy, and she murmured her approval.

She tightened her lips around him and dropped lower, taking him into her mouth as far as she could. She hummed around his shaft and he groaned, his fingers tucking her hair back before resting his hand on her hip. She pulled back, sucking hard, her tongue pressing against the underside of his cock.

His legs widened, and she palmed his sac, gently rolling and squeezing the soft skin. His balls were hard and tight and on the brink of release. She quickened her pace, sucking and stroking him until he was grunting incoherent sounds and pumping his pelvis to match her pace. She smiled to herself. She'd done this to him now more than once, but he had still been reluctant to participate, letting her do all the work, but it appeared that he was finally letting go.

She swirled her tongue, scraped him with her teeth, increased the pressure, decreased her speed. She teased him, driving him to the edge, wanting him to lose control. She took him deeper into her mouth and pressed her thumb against the small stretch of skin beneath his balls, a litany of profanities echoed through the room.

Her growled and gripped her head, pumping his hips hard and fast, warning her that he was about to come. She nodded as best she could, taking him in as deep as she could.

Draco let out a sharp cry, his hips thrusting up one last time, his entire body clenching. Hermione's hand squeezed his sac, and he groaned in relief as warm streams of liquid spilled into her mouth. She swallowed around him, still pumping her hand over him while he continued to release into her mouth.

He shuddered as her tongue caressed his tip, one last spurt dripping from him. She continued to suck him, gently, slowly, licking him clean until he groaned and relaxed onto the mattress.

She slowly let him go, laying her head on his belly, staring up at him, breathing hard. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling in quick succession. His face was red and flushed, but a satisfied smile crept across his lips.

He lifted his head to look down at her, a boyish grin replacing the satisfied smile.

"How many times have I told you that you're amazing?" His voice was dry and gravely, in desperate need of water, "Because how ever many it is, it's not enough. It won't ever be enough."

She smiled up at him, hardly able to move, "That wasn't too much fuss then?"

He laughed, and then coughed, his throat dry, "I'd be happy for that to be all the fuss you make for my birthday for eternity." He brushed her damp hair from her face, and she closed her eyes, "Don't go to sleep yet," he told her and gently slid out from beneath her.

She glanced at his limp cock, "You can't honestly think that's happening again anytime soon."

"No," he said crossing the room, "But I need water, and you probably do too."

He disappeared into the bathroom and she heard the tap turn on. She smiled and slipped under the covers, the sheen of sweat was rapidly cooling her body, despite the warmth of the room.

"Here," Draco said handing the glass tumbler to her, and she gulped it down in three large swallows.

She glanced up at him and he was grinning at her, "Don't say a word," she warned him, and he laughed.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he told her slipping in beside her, "I would never make a comment on just how well you swallow."

She groaned and shoved at his chest, "That was terrible." She said rolling away from him.

Draco pulled her back to him, fitting her body to his and curling himself around her. She lay her head on his arm and he linked his fingers with hers. She pressed back against him, sighing, a tiny content sound that he loved.

He kissed her shoulder, her skin had cooled and he instinctively hugged her tighter. This was the moment he loved most. The moment of quiet after they'd been loud, the moment of intimacy after they'd been intimate, the moment of knowing he needed nothing more than her.

And she was all he wanted. All he wanted for the rest of his life. He loved her and wanted to marry her.

Hermione stiffened in his arms, breaking into his thoughts, "What?" She whispered.

Draco frowned, and then closed his eyes, cursing inside his head.

He'd said it out loud.

He'd asked her to marry him.


	22. Chapter 22

_Shit! Shitshitshitshitshit!_

The room suddenly felt small, almost as if it had shrunk to the tiny amount of space that was just them. The silence was deafening in the stillness of the room and all he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears. Her back was still pressed against him and he was sure that she would feel his heart hammering in his chest.

He'd proposed. Fucking proposed. Naked, half asleep after she'd given him the blow job of his life and he'd fucking proposed. _What the fuck was wrong with him?_ He'd told her he'd wait for her. He'd wait until she was ready, he wouldn't ask her until then. And yet here he was, blurting out a proposal, in a way that would make him hate himself for the rest of his life. More so if she said no, and ended it all.

Of course he wanted to be with her, be married to her, he'd known it from the start and he had told her as such. But this was not how he had wanted to ask her. He hadn't actually planned anything, but it certainly wouldn't have been in a way that was naked and post coital, and certainly not before she had told him she was ready.

A frustrated growl sat in his chest, threatening to bubble out. He wanted to slap himself. He'd fucked this up royally, the words were out and couldn't see how he could fix it.

She was completely frozen beside him, only the subtle movements of her chest as she took each breath indicated that she was even there with him. She'd heard him. Of course she had. Her quiet, whispered _what?_ had let him know that the thoughts in his head had not remained thoughts, that he had indeed said them out loud. But she'd not made another sound.

It was possible that she thought he'd dropped off, had said the words in a sleep haze, but he didn't think so. She knew he never fell asleep straight away, preferring to feel her relax into him, waiting for her to fall into slumber while he watched her. No matter how exhausted he was, he always waited for her, and she knew it.

He heard a quiet intake of breath, and her fingers loosened from his. He let his hand drop away from hers, not wanting to let go, but he fought off the need to pull her to him and apologise, to take back what he said. He tried not to tense, but his spine stiffened, not sure what to expect.

She sat up, her back still to him, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She finally looked over her shoulder at him, her face impassive, unreadable. At least she didn't look angry, that was a start. He remained quiet, waiting for her to speak. Waiting for her to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing, to tell him to go to hell and to get out. He waited, not even sure what to say, if he should say something, as one moment turned into another and then stretched into an awkward silence.

"Draco?" she finally whispered, "What did you say?"

He pushed up onto one elbow, wanting to reach out to her, but holding back. He was struggling to gauge her reaction, she had closed herself off, not giving anything away.

"Hermione," His throat was suddenly dry again and her name came out as a choking sound. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Hermione, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"What did you say?" She asked again.

He felt his face heat up, but there was no way she was going to let him out of this. He met her eyes and told her, "I believe I asked you to marry me."

She blinked. Her face remained passive, but he could see her pulse pick up, a tiny thrum at the base of her throat. She let out a shaky breath and swallowed. She nodded at him, acknowledging that yes, he had asked her but she didn't respond.

The silence stretched between them once more. He reached for her but she pulled away, standing and stepping backwards.

She started pacing, seemingly unaware that she was completely naked. Draco moved to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling the sheet across his lap, regardless of how agitated she was, she _was_ naked, and him being aroused by that fact when she was so pissed off wouldn't do him any favours.

He let her pace, watching her walk back and forth across the plush carpet, muttering to herself. He didn't have a clue what to say to her, didn't know how to make everything okay again. He felt like he was suffocating, like there was no air in the room. But did he really have to say anything to her? He told her every day that he loved her, how amazingly beautiful she was, how incredible.

But of course, he assumed his words had been completely forgotten. The only thing that was in her head right then was his idiotic proposal.

She paused and looked at him, her expression of anger morphing into something that resembled confusion. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, staring at him – almost through him - and then continued pacing.

"Hermione?" He said quietly, "Talk to me, please."

She turned to face him, hands on her hips and he couldn't stop the grin that crossed his face. She was fucking naked. Naked and angry and she was stunning. He wanted to cross the room, throw her to the floor and fuck the anger out of her. Lick every inch of her skin and tell her how much he needed her, how much he loved her. But he didn't move from his seated position, knowing that there was an outburst on its way and it would be best to stay put.

She frowned at his expression and looked down at herself, and her jaw clenched. She grabbed the bag that she had packed and tore it open, plunging her hand in, pulling out a deep red item and dragging it over her head. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop the laughter from bursting out. She was wearing the Iron Man t-shirt Scorpius had given him the day before. She had obviously packed it for him knowing that Scorp would love seeing him wearing it when they got home. But now he was being glared at by both her and Tony Stark. He found it highly amusing and if she wasn't so pissed at him he'd take a photo.

"You asked me to marry you Draco," she finally said, "Were you serious? Or was it just a drunken joke?"

"I'm not drunk." He said simply, "And I would never joke about that."

A beat of silence passed between them, before she resumed her pacing. "Did you plan this?"

He shook his head, "No. I didn't plan _this_. There's no way I would plan to propose to you like _this_."

"So, what?" she asked stopping at the furthest point in her pacing away from him, "You thought you would just randomly ask me. Even though we talked about it? Even though you said you wouldn't?"

"It kind of just slipped out."

"So you didn't mean it then?" Her eyes flamed, "It was a mistake?"

Draco huffed out a breath and stood, letting the sheet slide off him. He strode over to her, the four steps seeming like a thousand miles. He cupped her face and kissed her, pulling a yelp of surprise from her. Right then, he didn't give a crap about how angry she was, she was going to hear him out.

"I know we've been together for less than a year, way less than a year," Draco held her face and stared directly into her eyes, "But I know how I feel about you. I love everything about you. I love everything about us. I love being inside you. I love waking up next to you. I love just being with you. You make it easy to breath." He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "You are the most thoughtful person I've ever known. You've let Scorpius and me into your life without question, and you take care of us. You take care of us without hesitation and you do amazing things for us that no one has ever done before.

"Maybe it's too soon, and that's okay. You can tell me no, not yet. And we'll leave it at that. But the question is out there and I can't take it back, I don't want to take it back. You don't have to answer it now, you can answer it whenever you're ready. I'm quite prepared to wait for you."

Hermione's shoulders relaxed, "I don't have to answer now?"

He shook his head, "No. Not now. Not ever if you don't want to," he brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, "I love you, and I'm sorry that I asked you like I did. But I did mean it. I want to marry you. But it's up to you now, you tell me yes or no when you're ready."

He watched as her eyes cleared and the anger slowly left her. She nodded slowly, as if he'd answered the questions she had in her own head.

"You're naked," she said as if only just realising it.

Draco smiled, "I am. And you're wearing Iron man."

She looked down and let out a small laugh, "Oh."

He pressed a finger under her chin and tilted her face up to him, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and pulled the shirt over her head, "Can we sleep?"

He kissed her gently and led her back to the bed. He pulled the covers over them and curled around her. She pulled his arms around her and he smiled.

 _Not great_ , he thought, _but not totally fucked up._

* * *

Hermione's eyes flickered open, and she smiled. Draco was watching her, looking directly at her with a small smile on his face and complete adoration in his eyes. He was still holding her close, his arms and legs wrapped around her, warmth radiating off him. He was a mess, looking freshly fucked, regardless of the fact that hours had passed. His face was rumpled, hair everywhere, and was completely gorgeous and sexy in his morning state.

His fingers on her hip brushed over her skin raising goosebumps and causing her to shiver at his touch. But he didn't say a word.

"You're awake?"

Draco bent forward and kissed her, "I am. Have been for a while."

"Is it late?"

He shook his head, "No. It's still quite early." The room was still dim, just a scattering of early morning light forcing it's way in slim grey beams around the curtain.

"How long have you been watching me?"

"A while."

She scrunched her nose, "That's kind of creepy."

"Is it?"

She smiled and lifted her hand to his face, tracing his cheekbone and lips. "No. It's not really."

Her stomach flipped and she felt her nipples tighten. She wanted him, needed him. It had become her first instinct, her need for him, but she wasn't sure if he would want her, not after yet another freak out. She ran her hand slowly across his chest, her fingernails scratching across his skin, and trailed down the fine line of hair on his navel. Her fingers stopped when she felt him. He was hard, waiting for her. She leaned in closer, her lips just touching his, hesitating slightly, not sure what his reaction would be. But when his hand slipped between her thighs, she pressed her lips harder to his, feeling him kiss her back.

"I want you inside," she murmured, "I want you over me."

It was quiet and slow, each rocking gently against the other. Hushed sighs, tiny groans, whispered words of affection were all that they shared, the complete opposite of their usual loud moans and cries. Hermione clung to him, circling his shoulders with her arms, hooking her legs over his hips, as his hips pivoted with each thrust.

She heard the quiet whisper of her name, the quiet _I love you_ , the muffled grunt against her neck as he thrust once more and shuddered over her. She gasped, her thighs shuddering and clamping hard against his hips, and she fell over the edge with him.

He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her jaw, before slipping out of her and rolling them to their sides.

She leaned in and brushed her lips over his, "Good morning."

Draco laughed, "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

She sighed and nodded, "Surprisingly well. You?"

"Hardly at all." He gave her a small shrug, "Which is surprising, considering how amazingly exhausting your birthday present was." He swiped his thumb across her mouth and her tongue flicked out across the rough pad.

"So you liked your present then?"

He grinned, "Which part? Dinner or...?"

"All of it," she said.

He took her hand and kissed her fingers, "All of it." He assured her, "It was brilliant."

A weighted silence fell between them, and she realised he wasn't going to say anything about the previous night. He was remaining true to his word; it was now up to her.

She blinked her eyes shut and her heart squeezed tightly as she remembered the events of the previous night; dinner, phenomenal sex, marriage proposal, naked freak out. She was surprised he was still here with her. A myriad of emotions hit her. Terror and vulnerability, affection and desire, longing and need, love and lust, it was a heady rush but they all felt right. Felt like home.

She opened her eyes again and he was still simply watching her, no judgement in his eyes, no hurt or despair at her actions, just watching her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I kind of freaked out."

"You had a pretty big reason to."

Hermione shook her head, "Not really. I knew you would ask." And she did. After the conversation they'd had following Scorpius' revelation that they should be married, she knew he'd ask her eventually. But he'd managed to throw her for a loop.

Everything and nothing had changed last night when the words had slipped from his lips. They already lived together, with his son, and had done for a while now. It seemed natural that this would be the next logical step to take. In her heart she knew she wanted to take that step, and she knew she wanted to take it with him.

But something between her heart and her brain was malfunctioning and the want to be with him, to say yes, was pushed aside and all the fear and hurt she had gone through remained at the forefront. He'd given her no reason to be afraid of committing herself to someone again, he had been patient and kind and understanding through all of her tantrums and melt downs, and she often wondered why he had stuck around. But he had, and here he was again, waiting for her.

He was still silent, watching patiently, while she sorted through her thoughts,

"You'll wait for me?" she asked quietly, almost afraid that he'd changed his mind over night. "You'll wait until I'm ready?"

He kissed her forehead, "Of course I will. I have no other place I want to be."

She let his words settle over her, _no other place to be._ "Why do you put up with me?"

"I don't put up with you," He corrected her, "I would never _put up_ with you. I am with you because I love you. I love everything about you. _Everything._ And everything means the tantrums and the freak outs as well as the laughter and the smiles. I love how passionate you are, how insecure, how much you love my son. Everything. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded, unable to respond, the lump in her throat was impairing her ability to breathe.

 _Everything_.

He was the one who hadn't pushed her at the start. He was the one who had told her she wasn't damaged. He was the one who lay beside her and held her hand when her ex had shown up out of the blue. He was the one who kept her sane, was the voice of reason. He had moved into her flat and he wanted her to be a mother to his son. He had waited for her, and was still waiting for her.

A sudden calm washed over her and she ran her fingers through his hair, "Draco," her voice shook and tears pricked at her eyes, "You're my everything too."

He smiled, "I'd hoped so."

A single tear spilled over and her voice was barely a whisper when she said "Yes."

The smile slid from his face and he looked at her with an uncertainty, that maybe he hadn't heard her correctly, "Yes?"

"Yes," she gasped, her breath sticking in her throat, "Yes."

"Hermione? Are you saying...?"

She nodded, "Yes."

Draco's own breath caught, still unsure that she actually said it. He searched her eyes and saw no hesitation, no fear.

He smiled at her.

And then he kissed her.

It was soft and almost chaste, pressing gently against hers for several heartbeats. He tangled his fingers with hers, leaning further into the kiss, rolling her gently to her back. His mouth moved over hers, slowly, unhurried, the seconds slipping by and stretching into minutes.

He pulled back, breathless and grinning like a fool. "You said yes."

She grinned back at him through tears, "I said yes."

* * *

Hermione stood under the hot shower, the hot water sliding over her, easing away the aches and worries. She bit her lip but was unable to stop the smile that exploded across her face. She'd said yes. _Yes._

 _Holy shit_! She'd said yes.

"Are you still freaking out?"

She turned under the water and found him grinning at her. Naked. "You don't seriously think you're getting in here with me, do you?"

"That was my plan." His voice was low as his eyes raked over her body.

She shook her head, "Draco there's barely enough room for me in here." The shower was tiny, this was a B&B after all, and a converted one at that, but she could tell by the look on his face that he had no intentions of waiting for her to finish.

"We'll just have to get cosy," he said and stepped under the water with her. "Are you still freaking out?"

"No, the freak out is over," She pressed up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stared into his eyes, "I said yes."

His face broke out into a wide grin, "You said yes."

"This is how it's always going to be, you know that right?"

Draco hugged her tighter, "You mean naked in a shower with a beautiful woman the rest of my life, the same woman who gets me hard just by thinking about her?"

Hermione gave him a withering glare, "Are you ever serious?"

He shrugged, "Rarely, but it's the truth." He ground himself against her as if to prove his point.

She shook her head and sighed, "No, I mean you doing something sweet and me freaking out about it."

"I like your freak outs. They keep me on my toes."

"I scare easily. I have a temper. I keep everything inside until it explodes into a meltdown. Are you sure you want that?"

He bent to kiss her, "Hermione, what I feel right here, right now with you, it's real and it's more than I ever thought I would feel. It's more than I ever thought I could feel. And while the meltdowns have been intense, the times in between have been pretty phenomenal, wouldn't you agree?"

"Phenomenal would be the word for it," she reached between them and surrounded him with her hand, "Yes, phenomenal."

"I don't just mean the sex, Hermione," he said through gritted teeth, "I mean all of it."

"I know you do. And all of it has been phenomenal." She kissed his chest, "But especially the sex."

He grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand from its current task, "Hermione, I mean it. There's nothing I want to change."

Hermione's chest tightened. She'd been so wrapped up in her own feelings, she hadn't bothered with how he felt. She lifted her hand to run it across his wet hair, "I know Draco, and...gah! I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"For being a raving lunatic. You proposed to me and I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin anything. I was the one who totally fucked this up and I'm sorry."

"You didn't fuck this up. You surprised me and I freaked out, but you didn't fuck anything up. I feel like a complete arse. I was being obstinate, again, and I'm not sure why you're still here and-"

"I'm here because I love you."

Her eyes moved over his face, taking him in; the man she would wake up with, would go to bed with, would laugh and fight and raise a child with, and everything suddenly fell into place. "It was perfect Draco. Your proposal. It was perfect."

"No it wasn't, it was bloody awful."

"I might have said otherwise last night, but it's not true. The fact that it just slipped out meant that you wanted this more than you thought. And I was too busy ranting to realise it."

"So this will be a story we'll share happily with others?"

"Oh yes, we'll even laugh about it." She let out a heavy breath, "It was perfect Draco, and I'm sorry."

His mouth slid over hers, stopping any further discussion. She opened her mouth, groaning when his tongue slid across hers.

She clutched at his shoulders, growling in frustration when her hands slipped on his wet skin. She pressed herself to him, his cock folding against her stomach and she gasped at the cold tiles hitting her back. He'd spun them around and bent to suck her nipple into his mouth.

His mouth returned to hers, kissing her frantically. His hands were everywhere; in her hair, tracing patterns across her back, running up and down her arms and finally reaching around and grabbing her arse. He pulled his mouth from hers, breathing heavily and stared down into her eyes; his hunger and lust blazed in the blue-grey swirls she loved so much and then a sly grin crept across his face. He bent quickly and cupped the backs of her thighs, lifting so she could wrap her legs around his hips.

She wrapped her hand around him, guiding him to her, "Don't be gentle," she whispered and watched as he slowly filled her.

He stilled when his hips met hers. "This feeling?" Draco murmured against her ear, "Me inside you. Feeling so good it almost hurts? I've never felt it before. Only with you. It feels fucking amazing and I never want to lose it."

She gulped in a breath, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks as he began to rock against her. She surrounded his shoulders, pulling him against her chest. Her mouth hovered near his ear, but she couldn't speak the words.

 _I know.  
I know who I am with you.  
I know we'll never lose this._

The quiet slapping of his hips against her thighs sounded in her ears when he began to move. He pressed deep into her, moving harder and faster, knowing exactly what she wanted. Her body flushed, the aching need she felt for him overwhelmed her and she choked out his name.

His body snapped up, hard and sharp, and he reached between them, pinching her clit. She convulsed against him, her strangled cry echoing off the shower walls. Draco watched her face, her jaw slack, eyes clamped shut, breathing hard. She was stunning in this moment, all of her insecurities and doubts disappearing, replaced with sheer bliss. Her watched her throat bob as she swallowed, and he leaned in, running his tongue along her flushed skin.

He continued to slide in and out of her, his fingers digging into her thighs as she came down from her high. She opened her eyes, and looked surprised when he slipped out of her.

"Draco, you didn't..."

A mischievous smile let her know what he wanted. She reached between them and circled him, sliding along his slick length. She stroked him fast, squeezing and pulling, listening as his breath hitched. He grunted and jerked against her, and the both watched as he came over her belly.

He lowered her slowly, her legs shaking, her arms sliding around his shoulders. A wave of relief washed over her and the last remaining slither of fear left her.

She knew she was in safe hands.

* * *

"We can't tell them," Hermione said as she stepped out of the bathroom, "When we go down there, for breakfast, we can't tell them."

"Scorp first?" Draco asked, as if reading her mind.

She nodded, "He should know first. And he has to be okay with it before anyone else knows."

Draco pulled his t-shirt over his head, "Are you seriously concerned he won't be?"

She shrugged, "I know he's discussed it with you, and I know he wants us to be..."

Draco cupped her face and grinned at her, "Married? You can say it."

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled, "Fine. He wants us to be _married_. But he's important in this. This is a big deal and it's his life us much as it is ours and he gets to be a part of this, he should be a part of this."

"And he will be," His hands went to her shoulders, "There's no way he won't be. He'll probably take over."

She tilted her head and looked thoughtfully at him, "Yeah, you're probably right." She smiled at him, a smile that seemed to be permanently etched on her face since her epiphany in the shower. "Are you ready?"

"Hey," he said, "This smile that's on your face, you best make it disappear." She frowned at him and he laughed, "They'll see that smile, and they'll know something's happened. If you don't want them to know..."

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little." He picked her hand up, kissing the place where an engagement ring would soon be sitting and he gave her a rueful smile, "Your hand shouldn't be bare after I proposed."

"A ring would be completely obvious, more so than my stupid face." She grinned at him, "Besides, it's just a pretty piece of metal. It doesn't mean anything really. I have you and I have Scorpius. I have everything."

"You don't want a ring then?"

"Oh, no. I do." She said making him laugh, "Just don't go crazy with it, okay."

"So no diamonds as big as your head then?"

"Draco."

"I know, I know. Nothing outrageous." He winked at her, "But that doesn't mean I can't spoil you."

* * *

"Oh my god, Dad!" Scorpius exclaimed, "You did it wrong!"

"Excuse me?"

"Gah! You don't just ask her. You're supposed to give her a ring." Scorpius shook his head in disgust.

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand, scared that she would explode into laughter at Scorpius schooling his father on just how to propose properly.

They'd picked him up from Molly and Arthur's on their way back, but had been unable to tell him since Draco's friends were all coming for lunch – as per Scorpius' request. And much to Hermione's amusement, he'd been the one to show them around their flat, proudly showing off his bedroom and equally as proud showing off Trevor.

She immediately knew just how they all felt about him. He was theirs. The protective vibe she felt from them all was heart-warming. She'd heard Draco talk about how Blaise had helped in those first few months, but she assumed he hadn't been the only one.

And as soon as they'd all left, they told him. And after he'd thrown himself into her arms, almost squealing with excitement, he'd gotten angry that Draco hadn't done it properly.

"I didn't plan to ask her this weekend, it just kind of happened." Draco said, "That's why there's no ring." Scorpius was still shaking his head, clearly disappointed in his father. "I think you've been watching too many Disney princess movies."

"Have not." Scorpius mumbled.

"Oh, I think you have." Draco teased, "You and Hermione, when I'm not here. I can just picture it. Which one's your favourite?"

Scorpius looked at Hermione and then back to Draco, "The Princess and the Frog," he said with a straight face, "Because the frog actually _makes_ a ring for the princess."

The laughter Hermione was holding in burst out and Draco shook his head, "You're a bad influence on him, you know that?"

Still laughing, Hermione hugged Scorpius, "Your dad will get me a ring. It's not important."

"But it is," Scorpius complained, but Hermione stopped him.

"No, it's really not. What's important is that you and him and me, we'll be a family. That's what's important, not a ring."

Scorpius looked glumly at her, "I guess."

"You guess?" Draco asked, "Is that not enough?"

"No, it is. But how will everyone know you're getting married?"

Hermione kissed the top of his head, "We'll tell them."

"And I'll get her a ring," Draco assured him, "And just to really make sure, she can get me one too." They both looked at him and he laughed at the almost identical looks of surprise on their faces, "It's only fair."

"Draco, you don't have to do that."

"Yes I do," he said moving to sit in front of her, "If everyone has to be aware that you're mine, they should also know I'm yours."

Hermione's lips twisted into a smile, "A diamond as big as your head then?"

He laughed, "No, if I have to keep it simple, so do you."

"Are you sure?"

"I am." Draco nodded.

She reached out and took his hand, "Okay then. A ring of your own, Mr Granger."

Draco kissed her hand and winked, "That sounds perfect, Mrs Malfoy."

Scorpius looked between them both and shook his head, "You two are nuts."


	23. Chapter 23

Hermione stumbled on the top step and giggled as she fell to one knee on the top landing. She rolled forward and flopped onto her side, still giggling and thinking that the landing was way more comfortable than it should have been. She had, after several attempts at the lock on the shop door, given up and used the back door and now found herself deciding if she should just sleep right there on the stairs. The night was balmy and warm, and she was sure she would be perfectly fine just where she was.

Their impromptu girls night out had run much later, and had gotten significantly messier, than any of them had anticipated. Pansy and Ginny had decided that since Hermione and Draco wouldn't allow any real engagement celebrations until there were rings on fingers and since it had been more than a month since said engagement, shots would be the order of the night in an unspoken celebration for their friend, and Seamus had agreed.

Scorpius was with his grandparents for a four day weekend – the summer holidays allowing for more days with them - and Draco, Harry and Theo had had organised their own boys night, as it were, to watch some football match at Theo and Pansy's on the giant flat screen Theo had just recently purchased. She and Ginny, who been dragged along but had zero interest in the match, had left them with their beer and football, and with Pansy had hit the pub.

She giggled again and sat up, her eyes not able to focus and she gripped the rail to stop the world from spinning. She pulled her shoes off, not wanting to wake Draco with clunking heels on the polished wood floors and stood on wobbly legs. She fumbled with her keys, struggling to get them into the door, which led to another fit of giggles.

After several minutes of trying to unlock the door, her head thumped against the frame and her giggles turned into full snorting laughter when she turned the handle and it swung open - Draco had left it unlocked for her – and she had almost tumbled headfirst into the hallway floor. She dumped her bag and shoes in the middle of the floor, not caring where they landed, and tiptoed into the living area to find him asleep sprawled on the couch.

He was slumped onto the soft cushions, his arm dangling over the side, the other draped across his bare stomach. His shirt was off in the summer heat, his baggy shorts sitting low on his hips showing off that perfect 'vee.' He looked comfortable, and she instantly wanted to curl up with him, forgoing the large, comfy bed that they shared on a nightly basis. She pulled her jeans and top off, not wanting to sleep in her clothes, and clambered very ungracefully over his legs to slide up beside him and kissed his chest.

Draco roused long enough to murmur her name, to notice her presence, "H've g'night?" His words were slurred; his voice was heavy with sleep.

"Bloody brilliant." She hiccupped and then giggled.

"Why're you naked?" he turned towards her pressing their bodies together.

"Not naked," she murmured, "Underwear on." Although, considering her choice, she might as well have been. And she was sure that if he was more alert, they be doing much more than sleeping.

He snuffled drowsily, murmured _'re we sleeping here?_ and dragged her leg over his hip, moving closer and kissing her forehead. The warmth of his breath spread across her skin making her belly quiver. She never got to see him fall asleep, he always waited for her, and as heavy as her eyes were, she fought the need to close them, watching his face, watching as sleep took him.

She swiped the strand of hair that had fallen across his face, watching as his eyes moved beneath his eyelids as he fell back into whatever dream it was he was having before she roused him. She smiled at the tiny snores that were coming with each breath and she was suddenly wide awake.

She was going to marry this man. She was going to spend the rest of her life looking at this face, seeing those eyes, feeling his breath on her skin. She was going to spend the rest of her life simply being with him. It was still a revelation to her, the fact that they were engaged. She still had to remind herself that he wasn't going anywhere, that he was here to stay.

She had become so accustomed to the ease with which he touched her, the way he kissed her. But it was more than just the physical side. His love, his patience, his want to simply be with her, was more than she could have ever hoped for. It all felt different than the last time, he'd said it himself, _it's real_ , and she had to keep reminding herself that this was forever.

She breathed deeply, his scent filled her senses and she felt the now familiar flush across her skin, the pull in her belly. She was far too tired to wake him to have her way with him, and he was far too peaceful, but she was happy just luxuriating in him, in his presence, in his warmth.

So she lay there in the silence, curled together with him on the couch in their living room, her head cushioned on his arm, and she listened to his breathing, watching his chest rise and fall and she felt comforted. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and his face twitched, and she did it again. He shifted, moving closer still and tucking his chin over her head.

Hermione carded her fingers lazily through his hair, tracing down behind his ear and along his neck. She finally closed her eyes, dropping her forehead to his chest. Whether they actually went through with a wedding or just stayed engaged, it made no difference. This was where she was comfortable, where she was safe, where she was loved.

* * *

It was late in the morning by the time Hermione finally woke up. She groaned and opened her eyes slowly and the view looked decidedly different than when she dozed off the previous night. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Adonis that she fell asleep beside was no longer there, and the room was decidedly brighter. Trevor was sitting on the coffee table licking his paw and staring at her.

A thin blanket had been thrown over her, and she shivered under it, the morning after effects of the alcohol were wreaking havoc on her head and body. Her mouth felt dry, and her head was swimming, she'd not had a hangover like this in quite some time.

She heard Draco's quiet chuckle and then felt his lips on her head. She glanced up at him and he offered her a glass of water. She sat up slowly and took it from him, swallowing down the cold liquid, wincing when it hit her stomach, and she wondered what ever had possessed her to let her friends ply her with so much alcohol.

Her voice was husky when she finally said "Good morning."

"Good morning." Draco took the glass back to the fridge and refilled it, returning to perch himself beside Trevor on the coffee table in front of her, "How's your head?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, "I think there's a Slipknot concert happening in there. What time is it?"

"A little after eleven."

"Eleven!? You're kidding me?"

Draco shook his head, "It's the absolute truth. You've been snoring like a freight train for hours."

"I probably look like a train wreck too."

Draco stood, leaned over her and kissed her, "No, you look stunning." His eyes went lower to where the blanket had slipped off her and she snorted a laugh.

"Is that because I'm almost naked on the couch?"

"Maybe," he grinned running a thumb across her cheek, clearly wiping away mascara, "You might need a shower though."

"So I am a train wreck?"

"A beautiful train wreck," He said and kissed her again, "Now, go, shower. I'll make you food."

He watched as she crossed the living room, so comfortable in her own skin that she could have cared less about being barely dressed. And he approved of her choice – not that he didn't ever – but this one was one of his favourites. Black lace bra, with a fine red trim, that barely covered her breasts, and a matching thong that gave him a spectacular view of her arse as she disappeared down the hallway.

He often wondered of this had been her natural state on a Sunday before they invaded her flat. _Naked Sundays_ , he mused to himself and grinned. He loved his son more than life, but the weekends Scorpius was away, well, they'd become much more interesting since she'd come into his world.

His son. Draco hoped he wouldn't be disappointed. Scorpius had insisted on helping him to pick out a ring for Hermione, since in his opinion Draco had completely messed up the proposal. He had humoured him, listening to the muttered _nope's_ and the _not that one's_ as Scorpius scoured the internet for the perfect ring. Draco pitied the poor girl in his son's future who would have to endure such concentration when it came to an engagement ring.

But Draco had already found the ring. The perfect ring, and it was stunning in its simplicity. And he knew it was for her the moment he saw it. Just shy of one carat, the European-cut diamond sat atop a fine filigree band that had a smaller diamond on each shoulder. 1920's art-deco and completely Hermione.

And he also hoped Scorpius wouldn't be too disappointed that today was the day he would give it to her. He had planned on Scorpius being there when he did, letting him be a part of this, as Hermione had insisted, but he'd been watching her sleep on the couch, a complete mess with her hair everywhere and snoring loudly, and he knew that it had to be today. He didn't care if she didn't have his ring ready, if she hadn't found one for him yet, but hers had been hidden away this past week, just waiting for the right moment.

She emerged twenty minutes later, her hair still damp, wearing a tiny pair of sleep shorts and a sleeveless hoodie.

"Pyjama day then?" He asked with an arched eyebrow, and then trailing his eyes down her long legs and over the curve of her arse.

She nodded, "I couldn't be arsed to get dressed. And you don't have to get Scorp until tomorrow, so I figured why bother."

He looked down at his own jeans and t-shirt, "I feel kind of over dressed."

"You can strip for me if you like."

"Maybe later," He winked at her and slid a plate in front of her and she looked up at him with something akin to worship. Fried food - eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes with baked beans and toast - the perfect hang over food if she ever saw it.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

Draco nodded and smiled, "Yeah, you tell me quite often. Although, it seems the sentiments coincide with food an awful lot of the time."

"That's because you're always feeding me." She took a giant forkful of egg and mushroom, groaning and swiping another forkful and shovelling it into her mouth. "How do you do this? Full breakfasts never taste like this."

"Taste like what?"

"Like an angel fell from heaven and shat a rainbow on my plate."

Draco choked on his own mouthful of food, "I often think I can predict exactly what you're going to say, but in reality, I have no idea."

"Sometimes I don't even know what's coming out of here," She pointed to her mouth and then squeezed his thigh, "This is amazing. Thank you."

"You're welcome," He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "How was your night?"

"Um," She tilted her head and frowned, "I know there were shots. I'm pretty sure there was vodka. I actually thought about sleeping on the outside landing, and I took aspirin before I took a shower."

"So brilliant then?"

"Mindlessly brilliant." She told him with a bright smile.

"I'm guessing Pansy will be feeling less than brilliant down there today?"

"I certainly hope so," Hermione said with a glint in her eye, "She chose the shots."

Draco laughed and stood, rounding the counter to grab the coffee to refill their mugs. "Hermione," He said quietly as he sat back down beside her. She turned towards him and he slid a small black box in front of her and she sucked in a breath.

"Draco, what-"

He pressed his finger to her lips, "This is for you. I should have waited and had it when I asked you. But being the idiot I am, I messed it up. I love you. You are my life, my future, and the thought of not being with you is unbearable. Marry me, Hermione?"

Hermione stared at the box, unable to take her eyes off it. It wasn't branded and gave no indication as to what was hidden inside. But it could be a skull or a cheap plastic child's ring for all she cared. It was from him.

She looked up at him and screwed her mouth into a grin. She reached into the front pocket on her hoodie and placed a box in front of him. He'd been too busy staring at her arse to notice anything in her pockets. "I said yes the first time, and the answer remains the same. But you have to agree to marry me."

He leaned over and kissed her, "Yes," he told her without hesitation, making her smile, "Now open it."

She ran a finger across the lid and eased it open. She felt her breath catch and tears well in her eyes. It was perfect. So amazingly perfect.

"How'd I do?"

"It's perfect," she whispered, "Draco, how did you..?"

"How did I know it was exactly what you would have chosen?" He picked up the box and took the ring out. He reached for her hand and slid it onto her finger, "Because I know you."

She peered down at her hand, the pretty little piece of metal shining back up at her. "You do know me. You know me better than I know myself, I think." She smiled up at him, "Thank you."

He tapped the top of the small box in front of him, "Can I open mine?"

"Please do." She nodded, still entranced with the ring on her finger, but she managed to tear her eyes away long enough to watch his reaction. She'd found his ring less than a week after he'd proposed. Brushed platinum with two thin strips of dense ebony hardwood inlaid into the band. And she knew instantly it was for him. Different and unique, it almost screamed his name.

He slowly slid the lid off, and his reaction was almost identical to hers. His breath caught and he looked up at her, "Hermione, it's..." He was at a loss for words.

She returned the favour, taking the ring and sliding it onto his finger, watching his face. "It's definitely you."

"I think you're right," He took both her hands in his, "We're engaged."

"We are," She agreed, "We have been for a month now."

"Ah, that we have, but this makes it official."

"You do know that Ginny and Pansy will want to celebrate now?"

Draco arched and eyebrow at her, "Can you handle another weekend like this one?"

"I doubt I'll have any say in it." She shrugged and then frowned, "Draco, I don't want a circus. I don't want hundreds of people. Just us, and friends and family. Is that okay?"

"That sounds perfect." He smiled then added, "No wedding rings either. We'll just use these; I don't want to give this one up."

"Me either," she said looking at her hand, "We should celebrate."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Star Wars and coffee." She told him and he laughed.

"A day on the couch it is then." He dragged her from the barstool and wrapped his arms around her, "Sunday's on the couch for the rest of our lives, if it pleases you."

She reached up and traced her finger along his cheek bone, "I think that would please me very much."

* * *

Hermione descended the stairs later than usual on Monday morning. Their last night before Scorpius returned had been wild and raucous, and then again that morning, she had woken up with Draco above her, ready, slipping into her the minute she opened her eyes.

The knowing smirks from her friends had her rolling her eyes good naturedly and shaking her head.

Ginny noticed it first and her squeal of excitement was almost deafening. Pansy stopped mid steam to see what Ginny was making a fuss about, and dropped the milk jug to the counter with a clatter when she realised what Ginny had seen.

Hermione was engulfed in a mass of arms and more squeals, this time directly into her ears. The morning coffee crowd were looking at the trio, startled at the ruckus, but were almost equally as pleased when they became aware of just what the ruckus was about.

Their friends had been made aware of their engagement soon after Scorpius had been told. Knowing that there was no way he could keep it a secret until they'd exchanged rings, Hermione and Draco had allowed him to announce the news to them all.

"We have to tell Grandma and Grandpa," He had said excitedly, and then grimaced and looked at Draco, "And we have to tell Grandma and Grandpa."

"That we do," Draco agreed and his eyes went to Hermione, "My parents first."

Hermione agreed, "Probably for the best."

And the news had gone better than expected. Both Lucius and Narcissa congratulated them both in the formal way that Hermione was becoming accustomed to. And of course they had wanted to know if a date had been set, and what wedding plans had been made. And they had been met with a stony silence when they had told them that no date had been set, but when they did decide on a date, they only wanted something small.

Clara and Cuthbert had been, as _was_ expected, over the moon for the pair.

"So," Pansy asked when the morning rush was over.

"So?" Hermione replied.

"So, when did this happen?"

"Well, let's see," Hermione tapped her chin, "I wasn't wearing it Saturday night, and I am wearing it today. So by deductive reasoning, I think it happened yesterday."

"That'll be ten quid in the smart arse jar," Pansy told her and pointed at the tip jar on the counter, "The man has impressive taste, I have to say."

Ginny took Hermione's hand, "I'd have to agree. That's close to a full carat, five or six grand easy."

Pansy grinned, "How much did you spend on his?"

Hermione ripped her hand away, "Yeah, because it's all about the money." But her cheeks grew hot. She had spent about the same as Ginny assumed he'd spent on hers, but she wasn't going to tell her friends that.

"Hey!" Ginny sounded insulted, "That's not what I meant." Hermione raised an eyebrow at her, "Pans is right, it's gorgeous, and so completely you."

Hermione twisted the ring on her finger; it still felt unusual, like it wasn't quiet real. It had been three years since she handed her simple gold band to Pansy to do with whatever she wished. A traditional gold band. It was all he thought they needed, but not at all what she wanted. In fact, she hated gold and he had had no idea. He had no idea about a great many things when it had come to her. Pansy had never told her what she'd done with it, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

But now she had this. A perfect representation of exactly what she loved and what she would have chosen for herself. But she hadn't chosen it. He had. He had chosen it knowing that she would love it. He knew her and her stomach did a nervous little flip at the thought. It _was_ real. There was a ring on her finger and he had put it there. The nervous flip turned into settled calm and she felt light-headed and giddy. This was Draco, and this _was_ real.

"Hermione?" Pansy put her hand on her arm, "You're making a face?"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Ginny took her hand again and ran her thumb over the shining diamond, "It's a happy, Draco-fucked-me-senseless-this-morning face, and I think you just realised that he's going to fuck you senseless for the rest of your life."

"Thanks for that Gin," Hermione said, but she knew her friend had read her thoughts almost to the letter. She glanced at her hand, "He got it right, didn't he?"

"Oh, no," Pansy warned, "You don't get to go there."

"Go where?"

"To Oliver." Ginny answered, "You don't get to compare that douche to Draco. There's nothing _to_ compare."

"I'm well aware of that," Hermione said, "And I'm not comparing them."

Pansy and Ginny shared a look, "Are you sure?" Pansy asked, "Because arse-face proved that he knew nothing about you when he gave you that shitty joke of a ring, and Draco gave you _that._ "

"Fine," Hermione conceded, "I am comparing them. But you're right, there's nothing to compare. Draco knows me, he's interested in me, he listens to me, and he puts up with my shit. Oliver was none of that." She watched the smiles crawl across both her friends' faces, tears welling up in Ginny's eyes, "No. Don't do that. You don't get to cry."

Ginny's tears spilled over and she engulfed Hermione, "You found him," she said through her tears, "You finally found the one you deserve."

Hermione felt her own tears prick at her eyes. She didn't want to cry in the shop, but with Ginny clinging to her and Pansy smiling like an idiot beside them, it was kind of hard not to.

"I hate you both," she said in an unsteady voice.

Pansy joined the hug, "Yeah, we feel the same way about you."

* * *

"Hi Trevor, I missed you."

The cat had been sitting by the door for the last half hour, seeming to know Scorpius would be home that day. Hermione smiled at Scorpius' voice and the following meow from Trevor. Her smile widened when he skirted the corner and slid across the floorboards and leaped onto the couch beside her.

"Hi sweetheart," she said with a laugh as her wrapped his arms around her neck and squeezed tightly. "How was your weekend?"

Scorpius kissed her cheek and told her, "Grandma bought me new Lego and Grandpa tried to help me build it and he couldn't so he took me to the zoo. Grandma says he's hopeless."

"I think he just pretends he can't build it," Draco said flopping down beside them and letting Trevor jump into his lap, "He's far too clever to not know about Lego."

Scorpius frowned at him, "No, he really doesn't Dad. Grandma's right, he's hopeless. Hey, what's that?" He was pointing to Draco's left hand.

Draco had taken his ring off prior to picking Scorpius up so he and Hermione could surprise him together. He'd put it back on when Scorpius slid down the hallway. "This?" Draco held up his hand and Scorpius nodded, "Hermione gave it to me."

Scorpius' head whipped to Hermione and he looked at her hand, "You have one too?"

She nodded, "I do, your dad gave it to me yesterday. Is that okay?"

"I guess," He said glumly.

Hermione looked over his head to Draco, who was frowning, "Hey, I thought this is what you wanted."

"It is Dad, but I thought I would be here when you gave it to her."

They shared another glance, both wincing.

 _Shit._

"I'm sorry," Draco said, cursing himself. He should have waited, should have known that Scorpius wanted to be there when he gave it to her. _Shit._ "I didn't realise you wanted to be a part of that."

Scorpius shrugged, "It doesn't matter." He dragged himself off the couch, "Come on Trevor, let's play in my room."

They watched him head back down the hallway, Trevor in tow, and disappear into his room. They heard the click of his door as he quietly closed it.

Draco ran his hand across his face and let out a frustrated growl. "I just can't get this right."

Hermione touched his arm, "Hey, you did do this right. Don't ever question that." He gave her a grateful smile, "Go, talk to him. Ask him what he needs to make this better."

He bent towards her and kissed her, "We will laugh about all of this one day." He sighed and pushed himself off the couch and headed in the same direction his son had just gone.

Draco knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open slightly, "Scorp? Can I come in?"

Scorpius nodded from his place on the floor where he was playing with Trevor. Draco shut the door behind him and sat beside his son, "I'm sorry."

"That's okay."

"No, I don't think it is," Draco said, "You're upset about this. So tell me why."

Scorpius sighed and ran the tip of his finger back and forth across the carpet. He leaned back against his bed and turned his head to look at Draco, "Will Hermione be my mum when you get married?"

Draco looked surprised, that wasn't what he was expecting at all. "Well, that's something we need to talk to her about. And Grandma and Grandpa."

"Why them?" Scorpius looked up at him.

"Because they are your mum's family. And they need to be okay with you calling Hermione _mum_."

Scorpius shook his head and frowned, "No. Not if I'll call her mum, if she'll _be_ my mum."

Draco's frown mirrored his son's, "That makes no sense."

"Hermione is my Hermione. And Mum is my mum. But Mum isn't here, so Hermione can be my mum for her."

Draco shook his head, "Still not making sense Scorp."

Scorpius' shoulders dropped and he sighed dramatically, making Draco grin, "No one else can be my real mum, right?" he paused and waited for Draco to nod, "But Hermione is _like_ my mum. She reads to me, and helps me with homework and makes sure I get on the bus for school. She does all the things mum would have done. So I thought she could be my mum when you get married."

"I don't think you have to wait. I'm pretty sure she's already your mum," Draco pointed out, "She does all those things, and more, already."

"She does," Scorpius agreed, "But you asked her to marry you and she didn't say she was ready."

"You're right. I did ask her before she said she was ready, but she said yes anyway." Draco looked at his son, still unsure what was actually bothering him, "You know all this Scorp. This was something that just happened, and we said we were sorry about it."

"I know," Scorpius said and looked down at his feet.

"What's really going on? Why are you mad about us wearing rings? You spent an age helping me look for one for her, so you knew that this was going to happen."

"I wanted to ask her to be my mum when you asked her to marry you," a flash of pink crossed his cheeks and he looked back down to the floor, "But you asked her to marry you when I wasn't there."

"And you thought when I gave her the ring, you could ask her then?" Draco's heart sank just a little bit. Hermione had been right, Scorpius' life was as affected by this as was theirs, and he _had_ wanted to be included. "Why didn't you talk to me about this?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I am sorry. I kind of ruined your surprise, yeah?" Draco looped his arm over Scorpius' shoulders and hugged him, "But it still can be a surprise. Hermione doesn't know that you wanted to ask her."

"I guess," Scorpius said, his voice a little brighter.

"Did you want to ask her now? Or leave it a few days so you can surprise me too?"

Scorpius thought for a few seconds, "Maybe now. But you have to go out there first, but don't tell her."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare," He kissed the top of Scorpius' head, "You okay?"

Scorpius nodded, "Yeah. I'll come out there in a minute."

Draco stood and headed for the door, "Hey, Scorp?" Scorpius looked up at him, "She loves being your mum."

* * *

"Everything okay?" Hermione asked when he returned.

"Yeah, he's fine," Draco said and sat opposite her in the armchair, "He'll be out in a minute, he's...well, he'll tell you."

Hermione frowned, "What's going on?" She held up her left hand, "Is he angry about this?"

Draco simply smiled at her, and said nothing.

"Draco, what's-" She stopped when she heard Scorpius' door open. She turned to see him return to the living room and she smiled. "Hey there, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said and curled up next to her, his head resting on her shoulder, "Sorry. I'm not angry at you or anything."

Hermione smiled down at him, "I'm glad to hear it. Do you want to tell me what you two are smiling about?"

"Well, Dad asked you to marry him and I didn't get to ask you my question." Scorpius looked at Draco, who nodded, "I was wondering if it would be okay when you and him get married, if you could be my mum?"

"Oh," Hermione whispered and glanced up at Draco, who was smiling proudly at his son.

"I don't want to call you mum though," He said quickly, "I have a mum, even though she's not here. But you're my Hermione, and I hope that's okay."

Hermione pressed her hand to her mouth and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She looked at the smiling face of the boy sitting beside her, the boy who had so easily become a part of her life, the boy who was now asking her to be a big part of his and a wave of relief washed over her.

She and Draco had talked about this, of course they had, numerous times, but Scorpius had never given her any indication that this was what he wanted. She had always just assumed that they would continue along as they had, with her just slipping into the role with no 'official' discussion with him

"Scorpius, I love being your Hermione, and nothing would make me happier than to be your mum."

Scorpius looked like he wasn't sure whether she was serious, whether he should be excited, but he nodded and asked somewhat tentatively, "Are you sure?"

She hadn't seen his first steps, or heard his first words. She hadn't been through the teething, or the two year old tantrums; hadn't been there for his first day at school or his first broken bone. But she would be in his future. She would be there for the teenage angst, and his first crush. She would be there to see him off to University, to watch him with pride when he graduated, and she would be there when he found his own one true love and gave her a ring of his own.

And this was him asking her to do all of that for him. How could she possibly say no? How could she possibly want to say no?

She hugged him to her and kissed his mop of blonde hair. She smiled up at Draco, and told them both, "I'm positive."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: So, apparently there was a glitch when I uploaded Chapter 23, and email notifications weren't sent out. So if you're following this - and I thank you kindly for doing so – you may have missed it.**

* * *

Two weeks before Draco and Scorpius were to return to their respective schools, Hermione got sick.

It started with an annoying tickle in her throat, which she ignored and waved it away as nothing, but within two days the tiny tickle had turned into a hacking cough and she was aching all over and completely miserable. Draco, along with Pansy, Ginny and Katie, ordered her to bed, with strict instructions that she was not to move for at least three days.

She had protested and told them that she was fine, that there was no way she was missing a day and if they insisted, they would have to drag her away, kicking and screaming. Pansy told her that wouldn't be a problem if she insisted and that she'd be more than happy to be the one to do the dragging. And after telling her that she was a filthy bag of zombie germs (a comment that had Scorpius laughing endlessly) and that she was not to come near any of them, Pansy had promised her that they wouldn't burn the shop down or let any unsavoury characters through the door.

Hermione had finally relented, telling them that she certainly wouldn't need three days in bed, one day would be plenty. But if she was being totally honest, right at that moment, bed sounded like heaven.

Draco had hovered around her, which she found both charming and incredibly annoying. It had been a long time since she'd had someone to care for her when she was feeling poorly and she appreciated the gesture. But she'd also had to take care of herself every preceding time, and was quite capable of doing so. However, she didn't want him to think she was pushing him away yet again, and allowed him to fuss over her **.**

And after sleeping for only a few hours, she woke up shivering. The fever had hit, and the inevitable fight with her bed covers began; kicking them off for fear she would spontaneously combust with the heat radiating off her, and then pulling them back over herself just minutes later when the cold shivers started. She could barely remember the first two days, sure she had been speaking in a language other than English when the delirium of her fever was at its peak, she just wasn't sure which language it had been. And now the demanded three days of rest had long since gone by, and almost a week later she still felt like death.

Draco had refused to sleep in the spare room, ignoring her insistent pleas for him to do so, telling her that if he got sick as well it wouldn't matter. Molly and Scorpius could take care of them and they could be feverish and snotty together. She had, however, noticed that he hadn't slept under the covers. Clearly the heat of radiating form her was too much to for him, besides, she had turned the covers into her own cocoon, leaving nothing for him to sleep under anyway.

She had managed to venture out to the living room two days before to lay on the couch, wearing her favourite cookie monster pyjamas, her ratty old Rolling Stones t-shirt and wrapped tightly in her bathrobe. She was feeling guilty about not seeing Scorpius for any significant length of time in the last few days, but she had only lasted ten minutes into whichever movie he was watching before she was asleep on the couch, with her head on Draco's lap, his hand stroking lazily through her hair.

And aside from feeling like hell, she was pissed. She never got sick, she couldn't even remember the last time she had a cold, let alone a fever and the flu. She had wanted to spend the last two weeks of Draco's and Scorpius' summer holidays with them, not in bed curled up, fluctuating between sweating like she was in the African desert and shivering like she was naked in the Antarctic.

"It's fucking summer." Hermione choked out when the bedroom door opened. Her throat was dry and scratchy, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "It's fucking summer and I get a fucking cold."

Scorpius giggled and she lifted her head off the pillow and grimaced, "Oops." She said, "Sorry, I thought you were your dad."

"That's okay," Scorpius whispered conspiratorially, "I won't tell him what you said. Are you feeling better?"

"No, not at all," Hermione dropped head back to the pillow. She turned her head to look at him and winked **,** "Don't tell your dad that either."

Scorpius nodded and told her that he wouldn't, "He said you need to drink this." He handed her a glass of orange juice and she screwed her nose up, "No, you have to drink it. It's good for you."

"But I don't want to," she whined, knowing she was acting like a child in front of a child, but he just laughed.

"You sound like me. I hate juice when I'm sick, but Dad makes me drink it anyway." He grabbed her empty water glass and disappeared into the en suite bathroom to refill it for her. He placed it back on her night stand and pressed his palm to her forehead mimicking Draco's actions of the last few days, and she had to stifle a laugh. "Hmm," he hummed seriously, "You're still awfully warm. And you haven't drunk your juice."

"My most humble apologies, Dr. Malfoy," She said and took a swallow of juice. She winced as it burned her throat, but Scorpius smiled, pleased that she had at least taken a small drink. "Another day in bed then?"

He nodded, "I think it's for the best."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Hermione laughed, and then started coughing which forced her to sit up. Laying down, the harsh barking cough burned her lungs, not that sitting made it any easier, her lungs felt like they were close to bursting. Scorpius rubbed a soothing hand across her back telling her that he was sure that she'd be better soon.

"Do you need me to do anything else?" He asked, his voice was full of concern.

She smiled at him through watery eyes, "Actually yes. I need you to lay down here with me and tell me about your day. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." She reached for the tissues beside the bed and wiped at her face, cursing the cold and fever that was wreaking havoc on her body.

Scorpius clambered up beside her, propping himself up on Draco's pillows, "Dad says you work too much. That's why you're sick when it's summer."

Hermione rolled to her side so she could see him properly, "He said that, did he?"

Scorpius nodded, "Yeah. And Pansy said we have to make sure you stay here until you're better. You're not allowed to go downstairs until all the zombie germs are gone."

"I don't actually have zombie germs, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. But it's funny," Scorpius laughed and then shifted to his side and mirrored her pose, "Hermione, do you miss your mum?"

Hermione nodded, "Sometimes I do, why do you ask?"

He shrugged, "When I get sick I always miss my mum, even though I didn't know her. Dad does a pretty good job, but everyone says that mums always look after you when you're sick. So I thought maybe you miss your mum because you're sick."

Hermione coughed into her hand, and then reached for the water Scorpius had placed on her nightstand, "I think you're taking excellent care of me, you and your dad, so I think my mum would be very pleased with you for doing that. Besides, Molly is kind of like my mum. She watches out for me."

Scorpius nodded, "Yeah, she took care of you yesterday when Dad and I went out."

Hermione had insisted that since they had so little time left on holidays, Draco and Scorpius were not to spend the remainder of it watching after her. She had grumbled that she wasn't going anywhere, she was barely able to get herself from the bed to that bathroom without feeling light headed, and ordered them to go and enjoy some time outside.

So Draco had taken him, James and Teddy to the park to play football and drink fizzy drinks and eat hamburgers and chips. They had been gone for half the day. Molly had insisted that she stay with Hermione, which Hermione had grumbled about, but had secretly been grateful for when Molly - muttering about vegetarians and that chicken would be better - had brought her vegetable broth, it being the first thing she'd been able to stomach for almost a week.

"She did look after me," Hermione agreed, "And I bet she cleaned up out there too." No matter how tidy her flat was, Molly always felt the need to clean it even more.

Scorpius shook his head, "No, but I think she was kind of cross at Dad, because he already cleaned up."

"Ooh, she wouldn't have been happy about that."

"Nope." He said and then asked, "So she's your Molly, like you're my Hermione?"

Hermione hadn't thought about it like that and she told him so, adding, "She's been my Molly for a long time."

"Was she nice, your mum?"

"She was," Hermione said with a nod, "She was busy all the time-"

"Like you," Scorpius interrupted.

Hermione reached out and poked him playfully in the ribs, making him squirm and laugh, "Yes, Mr cheeky-face, like me. She like to be busy, and kind of went a bit mental if she had nothing to do."

"What else?"

Hermione took another sip of water before continuing, "Well, let's see. She loved hugs. Everyone she knew got a hug from her every time she saw them. It was how she greeted them _and_ how she said goodbye."

"Would she have hugged me?"

" _Would she have hugged you?_ Oh, she would never have let you go," Hermione told him, "She would have adored you. She loved reading and she loved building Lego, and do you know what her favourite movie was?" Scorpius shook his head, and Hermione told him, "The Princess Bride."

"But that's _my_ favourite." Scorpius exclaimed, "We could have watched it together."

Hermione nodded, "And she would have watched it over and over with you, she loved it almost as much as you do."

"What else did she love?"

"She loved owls." Hermione shuddered. Her mother's owl collection was still in storage. She couldn't bring herself to throw them away, but she refused to have them in her flat. She had always thought them creepy and never understood her mother's obsession with them.

Scorpius screwed his face up, "I don't like birds."

"Me neither," Hermione told him with the same expression on her face.

"They're weird and creepy, and I'm always scared they'll swoop down and peck my eyes out." Scorpius winced and shivered.

Hermione laughed, and then coughed, and coughed. Scorpius looked at her with concern, asking if she needed anything. She shook her head, and took another sip from the glass, attempting to sooth her throat. She swallowed the remaining water and Scorpius took it and refilled it without her asking.

"I don't like birds either," she told him when her lungs finally calmed, "All those feathers, and their spindly legs."

Scorpius laughed, laying back down beside her, but still looking at her as if her head would explode, "Hey," she squeezed his hand, "I'm fine. A couple more days and I'll be right as rain."

"What about your dad?" he asked, seeming to be comforted by her assurance, "What was he like?"

"Oh, my dad," Hermione laughed, "Well, he was very silly and took nothing very seriously. He told such bad jokes that he made me groan all the time. And he also loved to read."

"Like you too," Scorpius said, "You're like your mum _and_ your dad."

"I guess I am," Hermione mused, "He taught me to read, and she taught me to work hard. And they both taught me to love everyone around me."

Scorpius smiled, "Do you think they would have liked me and dad?"

"Oh, I have no doubt that they would have loved you both." And she knew it was true. Her parents would have thought that the two men in her life were wonderful. They would have loved them from the start, exactly as she had. But she told herself, that maybe if her parents were still here, Draco and Scorpius would not have been.

Things happen for a reason, just as her mother always had said, and Hermione wondered if there had been no car crash, would the boys be here with her? And no car crash, might also have meant no tumour for Astoria, and that would have definitely meant no Draco and Scorpius in her life. _The Butterfly Effect at its best,_ she told herself and then shook her head. No, this was meant to be and she knew her parents would definitely approve of them both.

She touched Scorpius' cheek, "My mum would have given you so many hugs, no one else would have gotten the chance to give you any. She would have made you call her grandma, and she would have spoiled you rotten and let you get away with murder. And my dad? He would have made you laugh until your tummy hurt and he would have read you every story that has ever existed. Your dad and I wouldn't have ever had to read to you, my dad would have just taken over."

"I think I would have liked them too." He gave her a heart melting smile and she couldn't help but fall in love with him just a little more than she already did.

She smiled back, "I'm sorry you didn't get to meet them."

"Me too," Scorpius sighed, and pressed his hand to her forehead again, "I think you might be getting better."

"I think you might be right," she agreed, not that she felt any different than when he first came in the room, but she wouldn't tell him that. "Do you think that your Dad might have dinner ready? Maybe I could try some more of Molly's soup."

"See," He said brightly, "You _are_ feeling better."

* * *

Draco was sitting on the floor outside their bedroom. He'd come to check on her, to make sure Scorpius had done what he'd asked; to make sure she had water, and that she was drinking it. It was nearing dinner time, and he was hoping to get more of Molly's soup into her. She seemed to have improved since she'd managed to keep it down the previous day, and he hoped that meant she was on the mend.

But when he heard them talking, he couldn't bring himself to enter the room, not wanting to interrupt the pair as they chatted. Instead, he leaned against the wall, listening to his son ask her if she was feeling better and ask about her parents, listened to him ask the questions he had wanted to ask her himself.

He had slid down the wall to sit on the floor, leaning against it, feeling slightly guilty about eavesdropping on their conversation, but not wanting to miss anything they were saying. It was far too adorable, far too heart warming that his son was so concerned about her.

He had wondered briefly about her parents, what they would have thought of him and his son. Would they have liked him? Would they have accepted him; a single dad with a seven year old coming into her life, invading her space, turning her instantly into a mother? He was fairly certain that they would have, the stories he'd heard made him sure he would have had their approval.

Her friends – who pretty much considered themselves her family – had told him about them, tiny snippets here and there, about her father and his crazy antics, and he often wondered what that would have been like. To have a father who actually showed interest in you, interest more than how high your grades were.

And he often saw glimpses of just what he assumed her father would have been like in her. When she was teasing Scorpius, playing and mucking about with him. He saw the glint in her eyes, heard the goofy laugh, and knew that was her father. The neat and tidy, hard working version was clearly her mother. And he found himself smiling at the fact he probably would have had to impress her mother more than her father.

It had been almost three months since he'd asked her to marry him, two since Scorpius asked her to be his mother, and almost nothing had changed. They had slipped so easily into each other's lives, and the little family they had created had come about much easier than he ever thought possible.

Scorpius had been far too young to remember his mother and it was almost entirely the reason he had avoided any sort of relationship, not knowing just how his son would react to someone taking on the role, not sure if someone actually wanted to take on the roll. Because that what it had meant to be with him; instant motherhood, a daunting task for anyone.

But he really had no reason to worry. Not with Hermione in any case. While she had some reservations to begin with, she hadn't ever shied away from him, in fact it had been the complete opposite. She had accepted that he had a son, and accepted everything that went with that. And Scorpius loved her, had loved her from the first time they had met. He had talked about her endlessly from the first morning he had met her in the shop, and all of Draco's own fears – because he had fallen for her from the minute her first met her – disappeared, and he had no concerns about introducing his son to her so soon.

And now here he was, sitting in the hallway outside their bedroom, listening to them as they talked. Talked as if they had been in each other's lives for much longer than the ten or so months it actually was.

His mind wandered to Astoria, and he sighed. He knew that Astoria would adore Hermione. He knew that she would be happy that they found someone who loved them both as much as she did, someone who accepted the fact that he had a son and that his son was always a priority. And he knew that she would be pleased that Draco had found someone he had fallen so deeply in love with.

Blaise had been right – not that he'd ever tell him so - he had indeed managed to find the perfect girl again. He would always love Astoria, she was Scorpius' mother and nothing could change that. And Hermione knew that, even encouraged it, knowing that it was important for Scorpius to know that it was okay to ask about her and talk freely about her, and that simply made him love Hermione all the more. She was someone different, someone special, someone who had been to hell and back and still managed to smile every day, and that made her someone he couldn't imagine not loving.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her say, _"_ _Do you think that your Dad might have dinner ready? Maybe I could try some more of Molly's soup."_ He scrambled up from the floor and tried not to thump his feet on the floorboards as he made his way quickly down the hallway, not wanting to be caught listening in on their conversation.

"Hey, you two," He said cheerfully, if not a little breathlessly, from behind the counter as they both came into the living room. He looked at Scorpius, "You haven't been keeping her awake have you?"

"No, we were just talking, and I was trying to make her feel better." Scorpius told him.

"Did it work?"

"She's out here, isn't she?"

Hermione sniggered, "I do feel better actually, much thanks to Dr. Malfoy here. What's for dinner?"

Draco raised his eyebrows at her, "Spicy Thai chicken for me and Scorp, vegetable soup for you."

Her stomach lurched and she scrunched her nose, "Yeah, maybe I'm not feeling better."

"But its Molly's soup," Scorpius told her, "And you said you loved it."

She hugged him to her side and kissed the top of his head, "I'll try to eat something, but I'm not making any promises that it'll stay down."

"Eww," Scorpius groaned and pushed away from her, "Maybe Pansy was right, I think you do have zombie germs."

* * *

"How long were you listening for?" Hermione asked when Draco finally joined her in bed.

He'd let Scorpius stay up later than usual, enjoying the last few days that remained of their holidays. Hermione had intended to join them, but decided that a shower was much needed since she was gross and didn't know how either of them could stand being near her. Scorpius had laughed, and told her that she wasn't _that_ gross, just a tiny bit, which had her pulling him into a bear hug and blowing raspberries all over his face.

He'd laughed and squirmed, telling her she _was_ gross and she should shower all her gross zombie germs off her. Hermione had huffed in mock indignation, and headed off to wash the last few days off her, and Draco knew she was definitely feeling better. He and Scorpius had watched two episodes of Doctor Who, before Scorp was yawning and blinking to keep awake. He ushered him off to bed, barley reading three pages with him before he was snoring. He did a final sweep of the kitchen and living room, making sure everything was tidy before heading off to find her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He grinned and lay beside her.

"Yes you do," She coughed and cursed loudly about still being sick, "I heard you racing down the hallway."

Draco kissed her forehead, "You caught me, yeah?" She nodded, "I guess I heard most of it. Sorry. I shouldn't have listened; it wasn't my place, that was between him and you."

"I don't mind," she said before correcting, "No, actually I do."

He grimaced, "Sorry?"

"No, I just meant that you should have joined us. I could have answered all your questions too."

He kissed her again, "I think you did."

"Thank you for taking care of me this week," She put her hand on his chest, but didn't move closer, she was still warm and his body heat would not do anything more than make her hotter, and not in the good sense of the word.

"In sickness and in health, my love."

Hermione laughed, "We've not promised that yet."

"You're right we haven't," He kissed her cheek, "But it's implied."

"Oh, I see." She propped herself up on her elbow, "Any idea as to when the implication will become a reality?"

His eyebrows winged up to his hairline. They'd not discussed a wedding date, had not discussed anything wedding related. He had figured that he'd let her take the lead since he messed up the proposal good and proper. "Um, well, that's…"

"That's…?" Hermione was grinning at him, knowing full well she'd stumped him.

"That's an interesting question."

"And does that interesting question have an answer?"

Draco rolled to face her, leaning his head on his palm, "I'm not sure. Does it?"

She smiled and shook her head, "I don't know, you tell me."

"Hermione," Draco said in an even tone, belying the fact that his heart was beating a million miles a minute, "You have to tell me. If you want to set a date, just say it. I cont care when or where, but you need to tell me if you do."

She lowered herself down, laying her head on the pillow. "Can I be honest?" she asked and Draco nodded, "I thought I'd be happy just like this. Just staying engaged and that would be it, no ceremony, no reception, none of it. Just a ring that says I'm committed to you, and you to me. But after talking with Scorp, I think I want to."

"You think?"

"No. I don't think, I know." She reached out and traced his eyebrow, "I know I want to. And I know my mum and dad would have wanted me to. I meant what I said to Scorpius, they would have loved you."

"I'm sure I would have loved them too," Draco kissed her palm, "And I'm sorry I didn't get to meet them."

Hermione smiled, her thoughts from earlier filtering back into her head. Her father would have loved him instantly; their mutual love of Greek Mythology would have won him over in a second. Her mother would have observed him, watched closely at just how much he adored her daughter. She would have watched the quite moments where Draco would simply lift her hand to his lips and kiss her; where he would touch her shoulder and speak quietly to her, wanting her to know exactly what he was thinking right at that moment. And the clincher would have been when Hermione told her mother that he always waited for her to go to sleep each night before dropping off himself.

"Dad would have loved you instantly," she told him, "But mum would have been harder to win over."

Draco laughed, it was exactly as he'd suspected and he told her so, "I figured. I imagine your mum to be very much like you."

"I hope that's a compliment," she said through narrowed eyes.

"It definitely was," He said, "But listen, are you serious about this? The getting married thing?"

Hermione was about to give him shit for calling it the _getting_ _married thing_ , but instead she gulped in too much air and it turned into a coughing fit. Draco bolted for the bathroom, returning with a glass of water for her and smoothing his hand across her back.

"Fuck!" she croaked, "When will this end?"

He pressed his hand to her forehead, "Definitely cooler, I'm sure it won't last much longer."

She flopped back down to the mattress, expelling a frustrated huffed of breath, "Marriage thing?"

Draco nodded, "Yes, this _marriage thing_. The choice is yours. You pick the date, and I'll be there."

"That doesn't seem fair," she said, "This is about both of us, not just me."

Draco shifted closer, laying his head on his own pillow so he was at eye level with her, and tangling his legs with hers. But she shifted away, "I'm too hot," she told him, and he smirked.

"Too right you are," he agreed, but left the space she had made between them.

She rolled her eyes at him and then asked, "How about New Years?"

"New Years?" Draco looked surprise, "That's only four months away."

"It is, and I think it's perfect." Hermione nodded and then added, "Oh, that's if Clara and Cuthbert don't mind."

"I'm sure they won't. We can just switch Scorp's week with them."

"It doesn't have to be," Hermione said, "We can wait until next summer, it'll be easier with Scorpius. And it won't interfere with their time with him."

Draco was smiling at her, "What?" she asked.

"New Years will be perfect." He said, "Clara and Cuthbert won't care. In fact, they can stay here with him so we can enjoy our wedding night without having to be quiet."

Hermione grinned, "Now, it might be the fever delirium I'm feeling, but did we just set a date?"

Draco slid closer to her, and she began to protest, "No," He said firmly, "I don't care if you're covered in zombie germs, and I don't care if you're too hot. I'm going to kiss you right now, and you're going to let me. Because we just set a wedding date."

He leaned into her, making good on his promise. He kissed her hard, kissed her like he hadn't in a week - which he hadn't. She wouldn't let him, telling him she was gross and disgusting and he would only catch all of her germs.

She pulled back, catching her breath and smiled up at him, "In sickness and in health?"

Draco laughed, "Yes, in sickness and in health."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Cheers again for all the kind words and encouragement to keep going with this. I find myself slightly baffled that so many people are reading my work – but then I guess that's the point of sharing it with you all. So big squeezy hugs to everyone who is sticking with this and taking a chance on a non-magical version of my favourite characters.**


	25. Chapter 25

"Would everyone stop fucking fussing over me!"

The small wedding that they had wanted had almost gotten out of control, and she was wondering why she didn't suggest getting on a plane and flying to Vegas.

They had both agreed that they didn't want a circus. Something small and intimate. Something simple, just family and close friends. But, of course, the minute they had settled on a date, their simple wedding plans had turned into a nightmare.

Just as he had predicted his parents had wanted a lavish celebration with every person that they had ever met in their lives invited. They had become demanding, and overbearing, his mother calling or texting everyday with some suggestion or other that would _make everything perfect._

Hermione hadn't had the chance to lose her cool, he did it for her, telling both his mother and his father that they weren't going to turn his wedding into a business conference, that it was their day and that they would invite who they wanted, not a bunch complete strangers just to keep them happy.

After a month of silence, his mother called to apologise and to say that they wouldn't interfere. Cuthbert had clearly pulled them into line, again.

But it hadn't just been his parents. Molly, Ginny and Katie and surprisingly Pansy, had decided that they should also get involved and 'help' her. And their idea of 'helping' meant doing everything for her. Bridal magazines began appearing on the counter in the shop, randomly opened to a page showing a dress that Ginny, Pansy or Katie thought she might like. Molly started asking about who they were inviting, and if they thought they should add this person or that to the list.

She held her temper in check, telling herself they were only trying to help, until one morning she finally snapped. She picked up the latest magazine, and in a show of defiance she tore the pages out one by one, dropping each to the floor so they would have to clean them up, and told them if they wanted to repeat their own weddings they were more than welcome. But if they thought they could hijack hers, they were sorely mistaken. She added, before storming off, that if she saw one more bridal magazine in the shop, she would burn the place to the ground with them locked inside.

Their apologies came much quicker, with them all sheepishly approaching her just a few days later, and promising not to do anything she didn't want.

They had finally reigned in the craziness, and had organised everything within a few weeks. The B&B where they had celebrated Draco's birthday, where he had proposed, was to be the venue. They'd booked the entire pub, and the rooms upstairs, keeping the one next to their empty, as they'd done previously. And less than fifty people were on the guest list. Small, intimate, just family and close friends. Exactly what they had wanted.

Clara and Cuthbert had been more than happy to swap their week with Scorpius, having him for the week before Christmas, rather than the week after. And Hermione had asked them to stay with them in the days leading up to the wedding, and Clara had managed to keep her sane.

But now, Hermione's temper finally exploded. She'd been holding it in, not wanting to be angry on her wedding day. But her patience had been stretched to breaking point and she'd finally lost it.

The room went silent.

Molly, Ginny and Pansy all held their breath, waiting for the explosion to continue. But there was nothing. Hermione's shoulders slumped and she exhaled a long, slow breath. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose and knew that it wasn't her friends that had brought this on.

She could feel the tears in her eyes, felt them spill down her cheeks, and she didn't care. Didn't care if her make-up was ruined. Didn't care if her eyes were red and her nose snotty. She just didn't care.

"No, Hermione, don't-" Ginny started, but Molly stopped her. Ginny glared at her mother, but Molly ignored her, taking both Hermione's hands in hers and told her to cry her eyes out. Everyone could wait. This was much more important.

Hermione swallowed, and the tears fell in earnest. She stepped forward and Molly wrapped her arms protectively around her.

"It's okay, my sweet girl." Molly whispered, "They're watching over you."

Hermione sobbed against Molly's shoulder, while Molly ran her hand soothingly over her back. She hadn't felt like this at her first wedding. Hadn't cried over her missing parents. She had simply accepted that they weren't there and that had been it. But now her heart was aching. Her mother should have been the one fussing over her and driving her insane, and her father should have been by her side for this.

"Sorry," she choked out, "Sorry."

"Don't you ever be sorry for this." Molly told her, struggling to keep her own tears at bay.

"I don't know why...I wasn't before." Hermione sobbed and Molly brushed her now messed up hair from her face.

"Because this time it's different," Molly told her, "This time it's real, and this time you know he's the one. And they should have had the chance to meet him." Her eyes flicked to Pansy, who also looked about to burst into tears, and nodded towards the door. Pansy frowned, and then realised what Molly wanted her to do.

She slipped out of the room, and returned less than a minute later with Draco.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up, stunned that he was standing in front of her. Molly stepped away and let Draco take her place. He wrapped her in his arms and whispered in her ear, "Are you okay, baby?"

She shook her head against his shoulder, "No," she managed to say, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent.

"Breathe, Hermione," He whispered, his hands were warm and comforting and rubbing circles on her back, "Just breathe."

She pulled him tighter against her, pressing her face into his neck, and she felt herself calming. He was her family. He was her home.

Draco smiled at the three faces watching them, "Can you give us a minute?" They all nodded and his smile widened. All three were close to tears, and he felt he should hug them all. But he had a bride to comfort, so they would have to wait.

"Hey," he said, kissing her temple, his voice washed over her soothing her frayed nerves, "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"My dad should be here." She said between breaths, "My dad should be here and he's not."

She felt his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb brushing gently along the base of her skull, "He should be here." Draco said quietly, "And it's not fair that he's not." He rocked her gently, feeling her beginning to calm, feeling her relax against him.

"And my mum," she huffed out, "They both should be here driving me insane. I didn't care last time, it didn't matter. But they should be here to meet you. They should be here to...Scorpius...and," her voice cracked and her tears began to fall again.

Draco felt a lump form in his own throat, "I know, baby. I know." He cupped her jaw, "And I know it's not the same, but Molly and Ginny and Pansy and Harry are all here. And they love you more than anything."

"We're getting married," She said looking up at him, her breaths were still ragged from crying, "We're getting married, right?"

"We are," Draco said, smiling at her.

"We're getting married." She repeated, clutching at his arms, her pulse racing. "Why do you love me?

He held her face and pressed his forehead against hers, "I love you because I do. I love you because you are kind and generous, and slightly mental."

She huffed out a laugh, "How did I get so lucky?

"It's not you who is lucky. It's me. And Scorpius. We found you right when we needed to, and we're not ever letting you go."

She blinked away her tears and whispered, "I love you,"

"I love you, too." He brushed his lips across hers.

Hermione closed her eyes, her pulse had slowed and her breathing had calmed. _Just another meltdown_ , she thought and he was here yet again to put things right. She kissed him, lingering against his mouth, silently thanking him for being there for her again.

"You okay?'

"I am," She nodded, "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about." He assured her wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"And now I'm a mess," she laughed and called for Molly, Ginny and Pansy to return, apologising to them all.

Draco smiled and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear told her, "No, you don't say sorry today. Not one more time, okay?"

Molly stepped back up beside her, and looped her arm around her waist, "He's right, you won't say sorry again today, I won't allow it." She smiled at Draco, "Now off you go, we'll have her out to you as soon as we can."

He kissed her again before stepping back, "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

She had allowed Ginny and Pansy to fuss over her after her melt down, and they'd made her look presentable again. Her make-up was re-done and her hair was fixed, pulled back into a messy bun with loose curls framing her face. A simple blue diamond teardrop pendant adorned her neck, which covered her something old and her something blue. It had been her mother's and this would be the first time she had worn it. And she was glad she was sitting down because she almost burst into tears again when Ginny handed her a small velvet box, telling her it was from Draco.

She opened the box and sucked in a breath. Hermione touched the pendant at the base of her throat, "He knew?"

Ginny nodded, "Apparently someone told him that you would be wearing that," She glanced at Pansy and she grinned, "And he had those made to match."

Hermione took the blue diamond earrings from the box and put them in her ears. Pansy leaned down, resting her chin on Hermione's shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror and they both smiled, "Perfect," Pansy whispered.

"That covers old, new, and blue. We just need the borrowed." Ginny said.

Molly piped up and said she had that covered, and presented Hermione with a stunning sliver filigree bracelet, the same one Hermione remembered Ginny wearing at her wedding. "This has been worn by all the women in my family on their wedding day for eight generations." Molly told her as she placed it on Hermione's wrist.

"Molly, no," Hermione gasped, "I'm not _really_ your family. I couldn't, it's too much."

"Nonsense," Molly said, "You will wear it, because family is more than blood."

"You look stunning," Harry said as he entered the room, sucking in a breath when he saw Hermione, crossing the room and taking her hand, "Truly stunning."

It had come as no surprise to anyone that Hermione's dress was inspired by literature. It was both contemporary and vintage at the same time. She looked stunning in the Ivory A-line floor length gown. The neckline and short sleeves were inspired by her love of Jane Austen novels, with the high empire waistline and tulle overlay finishing the vintage look. The soft silhouette, scooped back gave it a contemporary feel.

"Thank you Harry," Hermione said blushing at her friends' words.

"Draco's waiting. Are you ready?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded.

"That's our cue, girls," Molly said.

"Hermione," Ginny said choking back tears. She'd been the most excited for her friend since their engagement had been announced and Hermione had loved her for her enthusiasm, even if she'd been pushing Hermione's buttons in the preceding months. "I'm glad he wasn't put off by your arse in the air."

Hermione laughed and hugged her, "I'm glad he wasn't either."

Ginny composed herself, "We'll see you in a few minutes."

Harry smiled at her, taking both her hands in his, "I mean it, you look stunning, and happy."

"I am happy," Hermione grinned at him, "Can you believe this? I'm getting married. Again."

Harry laughed, "You know, I actually can. I've watched the two of you together, and he loves you more than anything, they both do."

"And I love them." Hermione said.

"I know you do." Harry took her hand, "Are you ready?"

"I am." She took Harry's hand, and they took a step towards the door and she stopped. "No. I can't Harry."

"Yes you can," he reassured her, "You're just nervous."

She pulled away from him and slapped his arm, "No. I can't. Not like this. It's not right."

"Hermione?" Harry rubbed over the place where she'd slapped him, "What do you mean?"

"I can't do this. Not with you."

* * *

"Hermione, honey, is everything okay?"

Harry's entrance alone had caused a surprised gasp from their guests; they were expecting Hermione to be beside him. And after Draco's disappearance to see her earlier, a ripple of concern spread through the small group.

Harry had smiled at Draco and assured him with a nod that all was okay, and Draco grinned back. Hermione was clearly up to something.

And as soon as Harry approached Cuthbert, Draco knew what.

"Dad?" Scorpius whispered from beside him, "What's happened?"

"Nothing," he told him squeezing his shoulder, "Hermione is just being amazing, again." Scorpius frowned up at him, and Draco smiled, "Nothing to worry about, okay? Just a few more minutes."

Draco glanced to Clara, who had tears in her eyes, and he nodded when Clara mouthed, _She's perfect._

"Cuthbert," Hermione said and held her hands out to him, "Everything's fine. Well, not everything."

He looked between Hermione and Harry, his face confused.

"Cuthbert," Hermione took a breath to hold her tears at bay, "My dad should have been here to do this. He should have been here to hold my hand and walk beside me, and ask me if I was sure that the blonde bloke in the suit was really _the one_. And you should have gotten the chance to do the same." She saw the tears well up in his eyes and squeezed his hands, "Would you please escort me down the aisle?"

He dropped her hands and brushed furiously at his cheeks. He took a deep breath and smiled, the beaming smile she had come to know and love, "You are truly wonderful, my dear. Your father would be so amazingly proud of you. It would be my greatest honour to walk beside you."

"He's right, you are pretty amazing." Harry kissed her cheek, "Give me a second to get to my seat?"

Hermione nodded and smiled at Cuthbert, "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Cuthbert told her, "You look beautiful, by the way."

Hermione laughed, "Thank you, but I'm sure you wouldn't have said that twenty minutes ago."

"Missing your parents?" Cuthbert asked gently so as not to set her off again.

She nodded, "Yes, very much so, but I'm fine now."

"Well," Cuthbert held his arm out to her, "In that case, let's get out there and get you married."

* * *

Draco stood waiting, dressed simply in a white fitted button down shirt and tailored black dress pants. He had no reason to be nervous – he'd already seen her - he knew she was upstairs right now with Cuthbert.

They had placed the seats in a semi-circle, wanting their families and friends to sit together, not to pick sides, and Hermione would come down the stairs and greet him in front of everyone, not actually walk down an aisle, as it were, and now he was just waiting for her to do so.

But a sliver of doubt resided in his brain and had him wondering if she would actually come down the stairs and marry him. He assumed that was normal, not having done this before, and not ever planning to do it again

Scorpius was beside him, dressed identically. He was the sole other person who would be standing with them. The decision had been made to not have attendants when they'd finally reigned in the out of control wedding plans.

"Dad?" Scorpius whispered and he looked down at his son, "Are you okay?"

He squeezed his shoulder, "I am. Are you?"

Scorpius smiled, "Yep. I bet she looks like a princess."

They heard footsteps on the landing and a quiet piano concerto began playing. Everyone stood, waiting for Hermione and Cuthbert to descend the stairs.

He heard several whispers of _she's gorgeous_ , from the small group, and from the corner of his eye he saw his father squeeze his mother's shoulder, whispering something, and she smiled and nodded in agreement. It was the first sign of emotion he'd seen from either of them towards her. He quickly glanced at Ginny, who was watching him, a wide smile on her face. She winked at him and he grinned.

Draco sucked in a breath when he finally saw her. She was stunning. She had literally taken his breath away. He had been too concerned with her tears to take any significant notice of her earlier, and he was glad. This moment would not have been the same if he'd had.

And now here she was, walking towards him, about to become his wife. The twenty or so steps it took for her to reach him seemed to take forever. He wanted to step towards her, wanted to take her hand and walk with her, but he knew she need this moment with Cuthbert. Knew that Cuthbert need this moment with her. So he waited, settled and calm, knowing that this was it. This was the perfect moment he'd been waiting for.

"Are you sure he's the one?" Cuthbert said with a smirk and Hermione snorted a very undignified, very un-bride like laugh that made Cuthbert chuckle, "Because if he's not, you have about ten steps to go before your turn and run option is gone."

"I'm sure," She said, "Besides, the bar is in front of us, not behind. So there'd be no use in turning and running." Cuthbert laughed and she looked up at Draco, seeing the content look on his face. And in that instant she felt the same. Content and calm, but it wasn't until she was standing in front of him, with a smile that lit up the room, that she truly realised this was it. She was here with him.

His smile matched hers, and he watched as Cuthbert whispered something in her ear and kissed her cheek, stepping back to take his place beside Clara.

"Hey," Hermione said.

"Hey," Draco answered, "You look beautiful."

She took his hand, squeezing it, "Thank you."

"You really do," Scorpius chimed in, and she laughed.

"Thank you Scorpius."

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the faces smiling back at her, and she felt loved. Her parents might not be there with her, but this was her family. They loved her because they chose to, not because they had to.

The celebrant touched her arm lightly, gaining her attention and asked, "Are we ready?" They both smiled and answered in the affirmative.

"Wait!" Hermione gasped and looked down at Scorpius, who was partially hidden behind Draco, "You need to stand up here." She indicated the spot next to the celebrant, "So we can see you."

Scorpius stood where she pointed and grinned at her, "It looks like I'm in charge now."

"Was there every any doubt?" She winked at him.

The celebrant welcomed their family and friends, and started with a simple reading about loving the people around you, and loving the family that you made.

She then asked them if they would face each other and repeat after her:

 _From this day forward I promise you these things: I will laugh with you in times of joy, and comfort you in times of sorrow. I will share in your dreams; I will listen to you with compassion and understanding, and speak to you with encouragement; I will help you when you need it, and step aside when you don't. And above all I will love you, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, as long as we both shall live._

Hermione couldn't help the laugh that escaped her when they repeated 'in sickness and in health,' and Draco's eyes twinkled and he squeezed her hand. They had insisted on the traditional words being a part of their vows, despite their want for something simple and contemporary.

The celebrant turned to Hermione and smiled, "Hermione, if you would?"

Draco looked perplexed as she held her hand out to Scorpius. He took it and frowned at her, not sure what was happening, this was something that neither he nor Draco had been told about.

She crouched down in front of him, "Scorpius, today I promised to love your dad for the rest of my life, but I also need to make a promise to you too. You asked me a while ago if I would be your mum, if I could look after you when you were sick and do all those things a mum would do. So I promise you this; I will love you always, even if we get angry with each other. I will look after you when you're sick and I will read to you every night. I will always be your Hermione and I will do my very best to be your mum."

Scorpius leaned in and wrapped his arms around her neck, "Thank you, my Hermione. I love you too."

She stood back up and saw the tears in Draco's eyes. She took his hand and smiled as he kissed her knuckles, whispering _Thank-you_.

The celebrant looked to Hermione and asked, "Hermione, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To honour, love and cherish always?"

She answered without hesitation: "I do."

She turned to Draco and asked him the same thing, and Hermione squeezed his hand as his eyes welled up and his voice cracked. He swallowed and cleared his throat, and finally managed to say the words: "I do."

"Scorpius?" The celebrant said, "Do you have the rings?"

"Oh. Yeah. Wait just a…."Scorpius scrunched his face up as he dug into his pocket to retrieve them, "Got 'em!" He cried triumphantly and handed them to Hermione and Draco, the same rings that they had exchanged six months earlier. The celebrant laughed and thanked him and asked that they exchange rings.

Scorpius bounced on the balls of his feet, barely containing his excitement as the celebrant finally declared "I now pronounce you husband and wife," and his fist pump and whispered _yes_!, had everyone laughing.

"Go on Dad. Kiss her." Scorpius said.

Draco looked down at him, "Are you sure?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yes. Because you have to."

Hermione laughed, "Yeah. Go on. You have to."

Draco stepped towards her and cupped her face, leaning in close, "Well, if I _have_ to."

* * *

"Turn this shit off, Charlie," Anthony yelled across the bar.

Draco had kissed Hermione and after declarations of Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, or Mrs. and Mr. Granger (depending on which point of view was taken) the party had started. Charlie had decided he would be the DJ for the night, and his current choice of The Sex Pistols clearly wasn't something Anthony appreciated.

Hermione slapped his arm, "This isn't shit," she said, and Anthony raised his eyebrows at her.

"You can't be serious?" He said, "You actually listen to this stuff?"

Hermione nodded, "This is pretty mild actually. But what would you prefer? Sappy love songs that make you want to vomit?"

Anthony looked at Draco, who hadn't left her side all night. "She's serious?"

"Oh, you bet she is," Draco wrapped his arm around her waist, "Under all this innocence is a heavy metal rock chic."

"And how do you dance to this rubbish?" Anthony challenged and Draco snorted.

"Wrong question mate."

"What do you—" But before he could finish his sentence, she'd slipped out of Draco's grasp and began dragging Anthony towards the small space that had been reserved for dancing.

She looked towards Charlie, her eyes sparkling when she yelled across the room, "Play something loud, okay?"

Charlie nodded and pointed finger at her, "You got it sweetheart."

"Try to keep up." She said sweetly,

The entire room had stopped talking and was watching the exchange with interest. Eyes were flicking between Hermione and Anthony, and back to Draco, unsure as to why he wasn't the one to dance with his new bride first.

But the smirk on his face told another story. He didn't care. And his childhood friend was about to discover the complete contrast between the innocent looking woman in her Austen-esque attire and the rock chic who was about to let loose on the dance floor.

The familiar guitar sounds began and Hermione threw her head back and laughed. Charlie had chosen one of her favourites; SOiL's _Shine on._

"Come on Anthony!" Draco yelled, "Show us what you've got!"

Anthony pressed his fingers to his temples and shook his head, laughing as Hermione bounced around the floor like a complete nutter. He watched her for a few beats, she was grinning at him and gesturing for him to hurry up and join her. Dressed as she was she should have been demurely sipping champagne and saying things like _propriety_ , and _thither_ , and _intolerable_ , and _felicity._ Instead, she was throwing herself around like a rag doll, her face screwed up, loudly singing every word.

He grabbed her hand and finally joined her, banging his head in time with the aggressive beats, and they both cracked up laughing as she slammed into him.

The wolf whistles and cheers broke out, and several cameras flashed, capturing Hermione looking sublimely happy sharing the first dance at her wedding with one of her new husband's best mates.

Within minutes several others had joined them, turning the dance floor into a mosh pit. And Scorpius and James, attempting to copy the adults, slammed into each other and tumbled to the floor, both laughing hysterically. Hermione bent down to pick them up, engulfing them both in a bear hug and laughing at them.

Draco felt an arm wrap around his waist, and he turned his head to see Rowena smiling at him.

"She's..." Rowena began and then laughed.

Draco slipped his arm around her shoulders, "Yeah, she is."

The music changed, still loud and aggressive, and clearly another of Hermione's favourites, if the loud _hell yeah!_ was anything to go by.

Rowena laughed again, "She's a complete contradiction, this one." Draco grinned at her and she continued, "How can she look like that, and be – I'm not sure if you can call it dancing – but, dancing like _that_?"

"It's what I love most," Draco told her, his eyes glued to his new wife, "I never know what's coming next. It keeps me on my toes."

"She's great Draco," Rowena said, "More than great, actually. She's-"

"Insane? Barmy? Dancing like she's having a seizure?" He asked, laughing.

"Yeah," Rowena agreed, "She's all of that. I think it's called perfection."

"I think you're right," Draco hugged her shoulders tighter, and he knew she was right. He'd known it all along. Hermione had that _something_. That something that made everyone feel comforted and at ease, and it was that feeling, that natural charm, that made everyone want to know her.

The song ended, and Draco looked over to Charlie, who nodded at him. He slid his arm from Rowena's shoulders and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you up to?"

"It's my turn," He told her and moved towards his wife.

Hermione was looking at Charlie, her palms up in a _what the hell?_ gesture, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned and her face lit up, "Hey!"

"Hey," He bent to kiss her. He'd asked Charlie to pick a song for them, something she'd love and that he trusted him to get it right. Charlie had grinned and told him that may not have been the wisest idea. But Draco knew Charlie wouldn't disappoint.

The dance floor cleared as the first few chords of the song began, an almost ethereal sound which switched quickly into heavier, grungier notes; Dead by April's _Losing you._ He knew it well. It was the last song on her run play list, the one she usually hummed while she showered afterwards.

She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his, "Thank you." She whispered. She knew he wasn't a fan of her music, even though she was slowly converting his son to it.

Several more camera flashes went off, but Draco barely noticed. He held her close, spinning her slowly, refusing to speed up regardless of the fact that the slow spin and sway were not even close to in time with the pulsing music. He wanted to savour this with her.

Hermione smiled up at him, a mischievous twinkle in her eye **, "** You're _so_ getting laid tonight."

"Is that a promise?" He asked and she nodded.

"This song will never be the same again. You'll probably have to get naked with me in the shower after I run from now on."

Draco laughed.

Charlie had chosen well.

* * *

"Hermione?"

She was sitting at the bar, sipping her vodka martini, taking a breather from the craziness that was the dance floor. She turned to see who it was and she smiled and indicated to the seat beside her. "Daphne. Hello."

"You look gorgeous," Daphne told her and sat down, "Amazingly gorgeous."

"Thank you." Hermione brushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear, "And thank you for coming."

Daphne was Clara and Cuthbert's eldest daughter. Hermione had only met her once, briefly, when she and Draco had gone to pick up Scorpius after his holiday with his grandparents during the summer. She was rarely in London, her husband Viktor was some famous football star in _Belgium? Bulgaria? Spain?_ or somewhere, and she and their two sons , Andrei and Aleks, only made it back to England during school breaks.

"This would have to be the most fun I've had in a long time." Daphne laughed, "I'm not sure I'm actually at a wedding!"

Hermione grinned, "And that's exactly what I wanted. Fun, not sappy, teary crap."

"Mum and Dad were right about you." Hermione's brow creased and Daphne squeezed her arm, "They are completely in love with you. And they should be."

Hermione's face flushed and she mumbled an embarrassed _thanks._

"And thank you for what you did." Daphne smiled, "Letting Dad walk beside you. I know it meant the world to him."

"Oh," Hermione was suddenly struck with the realisation that Cuthbert may have been pleased that she had asked him, but Daphne may not have, "You don't mind that I asked him?"

"Of course not," She assured her.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, good. I'm sorry, I didn't think about you when I asked him."

"And you shouldn't have. Your dad's not here and neither my sister, so it was perfect."

Hermione looked over to where Cuthbert was sitting. His three grandsons and James were all surrounding him laughing at something he just said, and she felt a pull at her heart. All of her scepticism about fate and destiny and kismet all subsided and she suddenly had the feeling that the universe had not only sent her Draco and Scorpius, but Clara and Cuthbert as well.

Draco stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her shoulders, and she leaned back against him, "You're not filling her head with teenage stories about me are you?"

"Of course I am," Daphne laughed, "The poor girl has to know that you're not always this put together." She winked at Hermione, "Ask me to bring photos of his teenage grunge years next time I'm here."

"Your dad already showed me," Hermione shrugged and shook her head slowly, "It really wasn't pretty."

"Hey now," he said indignantly, "I'll have you know I was the most eligible, most sought after bloke with all the girls."

Daphne snorted, "Try most awkward."

"I like you," Hermione told her with a laugh, "And I look forward to hearing more about, shall we say, the questionable stories? The ones the parents know nothing about."

"Oh you're in for a treat then," Daphne looked smugly at Draco, "I have an awful lot of those."

Draco groaned, "I should never have introduced you two."

* * *

"Do you like naked wives?" Hermione asked and Draco turned around, a look of stunned surprise on his face. Midnight had passed and the double celebration of their wedding and a brand new year was drawing to a close. And he could tell by the look on her face, a whole other celebration was about to start.

His eyes dropped to her mouth and then lower to the swell of her breasts, "Well, I'm not sure. I've not yet seen my naked _wife._ "

"Well, you're in for a treat then." Hermione ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip, "But we have to say thank you to everyone first."

Draco grabbed her hand, "Right then, goodbye everyone, thanks for coming,"

"Funny," Hermione shook her head and pulled away from him, to say her goodbyes.

Draco watched as Hermione stood in front of Cuthbert, the two of them holding each other's hands, both looking to burst into tears. His heart swelled. He loved that he and Clara had accepted her and had come to love her.

Cuthbert stepped forward, hugging her. He whispered something in her ear, and Hermione nodded. A secret between the two. Then Clara took Hermione's hands in her own. She looked intently at her with shimmering eyes and nodded, also whispering something that made Hermione blink rapidly, fighting back her own tears.

Draco looked around and realised the whole room was watching them. Molly wiped at her cheek and Arthur wrapped an arm around her, a huge smile on his face. Pansy and Ginny were smiling through tears, Theo and Harry were hugging their respective wives. Blaise, with his arm wrapped tightly around Alicia's waist, caught his eye and shot him a knowing smile.

As much as he had become a part of her hodge-podge of a family, she was now a part of his. His friends all adored her, and even his parents had come around to her – an almost impossible task in his mind, but she had achieved it.

"Okay you lot," George called out, "You're turning everyone into sobbing gits!"

Hermione and Cuthbert looked around the room surprised, "Oh, sorry!" Hermione exclaimed, "I didn't mean to-"

Draco crossed the room and kissed her temple, "You _didn't mean to_ nothing. It's your wedding and if you want to make everyone cry, that's your prerogative."

He scooped up his son, whose eyes were heavy and was struggling to stay awake, and hugged him tightly. Scorpius reached his arm out to Hermione and she stepped into the embrace, the three of them standing together for several long moments, and setting off the tears around them again.

Cuthbert walked over to them and plucked his almost sleeping grandson from Draco and told them to get moving. He along with Clara, Daphne and Viktor and their boys, would be taking him back to their flat and staying with him, while Hermione and Draco spent the night upstairs.

Draco took her hand, "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

Draco shot her a devilish grin and leaned forward, whispering close to her ear, "I was promised a naked wife-"

"Yours?" Hermione asked sweetly.

He pulled back to look at her, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. "Mine."


	26. Chapter 26

Draco took her hand and led her up the stairs, walking down the hall towards their room, remaining silent the entire time.

Hermione sensed…something. _Nerves?_ She didn't think so, he was never nervous when it came to _this._ But it was their wedding night, so maybe the pressure to perform had undone him.

He stopped outside their room, and turned to her, his face was almost completely blank, only the flash of panic? Nerves? Outright terror? (Hermione wasn't quite sure), in his eyes gave any indication that something was concerning him.

Hermione frowned, "You okay?"

He nodded, and wordlessly opened the door, gesturing for her to go inside. She hesitated, wondering what was wrong, the silence, his expressionless face. She looked back up at him, but his face still remained stoic.

She moved into the room, and was barely two steps inside the door when she stopped, her breath catching. Candles were lit, spreading a warm yellow glow around the room, and vases holding her favourite flowers, tulips, jasmine and bluebells filled the space with an aroma that would be forever a reminder of the day.

She noted the two crystal glasses, and an expensive looking bottle of vodka sitting on the antique wooden bench at the foot of the bed, and she marvelled at the thoughtfulness of the man she had just married. She'd gotten ready in this room, and she was sure it had been a mess when she stepped out of the door hours earlier. There'd been some swift manoeuvring to tidy it up and do all this, and she wondered where the hell he had gotten the flowers from in the middle of winter.

The sound of the door closing was loud in the quietness of the room. He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissed her shoulder, "Is this okay?"

She leaned back into him and sighed, "How could it not be?" She turned in his arms, linking her fingers at the back of his neck, "How did you do this?"

He winked, "I have my sources." He bent to kiss her jaw, "Fuck, you smell good."

Hermione tilted her head as his lips trailed down her neck, "Hmm," She hummed, "No, I think it's the jasmine."

"No," He shook his head, "Definitely you." His hands went to her face, and he placed gentle kisses on her temple, her cheek. He pushed her back against the wall, and his lips finally landed on hers, hard and desperate, his tongue slipping inside her mouth and he groaned, the sound vibrating against her mouth.

Her chest tightened, and a lump formed in her throat. He was her husband. Hers for life. But he was kissing her like it was his last. Desperate and needy, full of want. They had all night, and he was rushing, she needed to slow down, wanted to slow down.

"Draco," she moaned and slid her hand into his hair, gently pulling him back.

He looked down at her, breathing hard, "Too many chaste kisses today. I've wanted to do that for hours."

Her eyes searched his, the blank expression was gone, and the intensity staring back at her from the storm-grey eyes she had come to love overwhelmed her. "I'm not sure I believe this is real."

He kissed her forehead, her eyes lids, the tip of her nose, "Real," he whispered, " _So real_. I'm not sure I could love anyone more than I love you."

She swallowed hard and tears welled in her eyes, "Say it again."

He leaned his forehead on hers, "I love you."

"Draco…" Her throat tightened and her words were lost.

"I love you," He repeated over and over, punctuating each _I love you_ with a gentle kiss.

Despite the stress caused by nagging family and friends, despite the melt down, despite the unspoken fear they each had of the other deciding not to go through with it and fleeing, their wedding had been perfect. But now, after their 'I do's' and the laughs and the tears, and the rock music and the vodka martinis, it was just them. Just them in the quiet, somewhat surreal surroundings of the room in which he had proposed. The room in which she had said yes.

The weight of the moment pressed down on her and she understood his quiet nervousness on their walk up the stairs. He wanted to get this right. It didn't matter how many times they'd been together or how many times they said I love you, this moment was charged with more emotion than she had expected to feel, and he was clearly feeling it too.

He pulled her away from the wall, enclosing her in his arms, "I want you out if this dress," he murmured against her shoulder, "I want to see what's under there."

"Granny panties and a sports bra," She told him.

"I seriously doubt that," he chuckled against her neck. "You're not the granny panties type."

"Maybe I felt like surprising you tonight, since you've managed to do _nothing but_ surprise me all day."

He laughed and led her towards the bed. He picked up the glasses, handing one to her and tipped his own towards her, and teased, "Here's to you, Mrs. Malfoy."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but a small smile flicked across her lips. There was no way she was changing her name. And he knew it. "And to you, Mr. Granger."

She touched her glass with his and took a sip. She closed her eyes and groaned at the mind-blowing richness of it. She glanced down at the bottle and understood why. She smiled up at Draco, "That's an eight hundred dollar bottle of vodka."

"You can thank my father for it." He told her, "He asked what you drank, and that's what he bought for you."

Her eyes went wide, "Lucius? He bought this?"

Draco nodded, "He did. He may not show much emotion – no emotional actually - but he's awfully impressed with his new daughter-in-law's business sense." He paused, "No expensive scotch for his son though."

"Poor baby. Are you jealous that he loves his daughter-in-law more?" She grinned at him, "Daughter-in-law."

"You like the sound of that, yeah?"

"I like the sound of _wife_ more."

Draco swallowed the remainder of his drink, and took her glass from her. His hands were back on her face, his mouth sliding over hers, open, tasting the biting remnants of the vodka on her tongue.

"I was promised a naked wife," he whispered and reached behind her, unbuttoning her dress. A smile spread across his face as her dress slid down her body revealing the tiny white, strapless lace bra and matching Brazilian cut knickers, that cut across her arse in a way that made him want to keep them on.

"You're trying to kill me, am I right?"

"Yes," she deadpanned, "I planned on marrying the man I love, and killing him on our wedding night."

"Then I'll die a happy man." He said as she reached for the buttons on his shirt, slowly, deliberately, undoing each one.

She watched, almost mesmerised, as his pulse began to thrum in his throat. She leaned in and kissed along his collar bone, reaching the base of his throat and dragging her tongue across the rapidly beating pulse. She pushed his shirt down his arms and started on his trousers as it fluttered to the floor.

"Hmm," She hummed, "Positively virginal."

He sniggered as his own white boxer briefs were revealed. "Impressed?"He asked kicking his shoes off and tugging at his socks, while she shoved his pants down his legs.

She nodded slowly, and ran her hand across his covered length, gently squeezing him and causing his stomach to clench, "Always impressed."

His slid his arms around her waist, holding her to him, their near-naked bodies touching from chests to thighs.

"Married," he said quietly, "We're fucking married."

"Is that okay?" Hermione asked.

He pulled back and looked down at her, "You're the best, most amazing, most insane thing to ever happen to me." He bent and kissed her, smiling against her mouth, "You are my home. There's nowhere else I want to be."

She slid her hands into his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers, "Good answer," she whispered, "Because I like being married to you."

"Like?" his smile curled his lips upwards and his eyes filled with amusement, "Is that all? You _like_ being married to me?"

She traced a finger down his chest, feeling the hard ridges of each muscle, "Hmm, I _very much_ like being married to you."

"Well, that's different then," His fingers deftly unclasped her bra and it dropped to the floor, "Just so you know, I love you, and I fucking _love_ being married to you."

Hermione laughed, and rose up on her toes to kiss him, "How many times is it that you've told me you love me."

He shrugged, "Not that many. Four, maybe five times."

She shoved at him, "You're an idiot," she kissed him again, "But at least you're my idiot."

Draco kissed her shoulder and ran his hand over her breast, his thumb flicking over her nipple, "Are you ready to let this idiot have his way with you?" His hand reached lower, slipping under her knickers and sliding across her clit.

Hermione sighed and pressed her forehead to his shoulder, "I've been ready all day."

He picked her up and gently lowered her to the bed, crawling over her. He stared down at her, his eyes dark and serious. He cupped her face, his thumb gently sweeping across her cheek. He kissed her softly, "You are the love of my life, Hermione." He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, tugging gently, "All of me belongs to you."

Hermione's chest clenched tightly and her breath caught. She'd been prepared for declarations of love, prepared for her name to be whispered endlessly, prepared for the reverent look in his eyes, but even now, with those simple words, he'd managed to catch her off guard.

She loved his expressive eyes, loved how they showed every emotion, how he could hide nothing from her. She loved his steely determination, loved his vulnerability, She loved how he protected her, how he protected his son. And she loved how he loved her; openly, honestly.

His eyes remained focused on her face while she filtered through her thoughts. He hadn't moved, hovering over her, waiting. She pressed her palms to his back and pulled him down to her, seeking his mouth. His tongue touched hers, pushing into her mouth, sealing his lips against hers. She circled his shoulders, holding him to her, his weight settling over her.

The kiss started out slow and deep, Draco linking his fingers with hers, holding them together against the pillow beside her head. But it quickly turned heated and almost desperate. He ground against her, and let out a frustrated growl; they weren't quite naked, their underwear was in the way.

"Hermione...I can't...wait...I need...inside you," he was breathless already, desperate to feel her surrounding him, his cock harder than he could ever remember it being. He'd been aching for her since he saw her come down those stairs and was now too lost in his own needs to be gentle. He couldn't wait.

He reached down, shoving the waistband of his boxers just low enough to free himself, and impatiently yanked her knickers to the side, pushing into her with one hard stab of his hips.

Hermione winced. She was wet, but not quite enough, not for ferocity with which he had entered her. She forced her hand between them and rubbed at her clit, building her own arousal and easing the slight discomfort of his harsh thrusts.

She groaned as her body caught up, and the discomfort turned into pure bliss, her slickened walls accommodating the speed and intensity of his movements. She closed her eyes, and heightened her other senses. She listened to the harsh breaths and low grunts from his mouth pressed against her neck, heard the slapping of skin against skin, felt the brush of his balls against her arse as he drove desperately into her again and again.

She wondered how much of this desperation was out of fear. Fear that this wouldn't last, fear that she would leave, fear that he would be left alone. He hadn't gotten the chance to marry his first love, the mother of his child, and she was sure that somewhere deep in his subconscious that was what this was about. She was in no doubt that he loved her, that he had no regrets about marring her, but she was sure there was some lingering, pent up frustration that life had been as cruel to him as it had to her.

He clung to her, clutching at her shoulders, his chest pressed hard against hers as he pistoned in and out of her. She dug her fingers into his arse, urging him on, and felt him let go, unleashing himself inside her. He groaned into her neck, the sound of relief came out as a guttural growl and he relaxed against her.

She clasped her ankles together around his hips and slid her hands along his damp skin, burying her fingers into his hair. She hadn't come, but she didn't care. The feeling of him like this, using her body and taking what he wanted and not caring about her, had been more than she could have imagined. The sex had always been nothing less than phenomenal with him, but this was something new, something better, something raw and unhinged and she loved it.

He went still above her, and then cursed, "Shit!" He lifted off her, searching her face. "Shit!" He pulled out of her and rolled off the bed, pausing to look down at her, "Fuck!" he swore, and disappeared into the bathroom.

She heard the tap turn on, the water running, the sluiced sound as he splashed water on his face. He swore again and another frustrated sound followed. She leaned up on her elbows, and wondered exactly what was going through his head.

When he finally emerged, she smiled at him, "Hey there. What happened?"

He shook his head, his eyes pained, "I can't get anything right in this fucking room."

Hermione frowned at him, "What am I missing here? That felt pretty right to me."

" _Right_?" He look disbelievingly at her, "How was _that_ right? I couldn't even be bothered to get us fully naked. You were barely ready for me."

Hermione sat up and reached her hand out to him, "Come here."

He didn't move.

"Draco," she insisted, "Come. Here."

He may have been the first reluctant groom that had ever existed, and she couldn't stop the smile as he slowly rejoined her on the bed. She pulled him down to lay beside her and moved closer.

"Listen to me," She placed her palm on his cheek, "I know you had a different picture in your head as to how this would go. You wanted something slow and romantic that lasted for hours, yeah?"

He gave her a wry smile, "Yeah, hours would have been nice."

"But what happened was that you took what you needed." She pressed her finger to his lips as he made to protest, "And it was what I needed too. I needed you to fuck me, to take me. It was raw emotion, it wasn't fake or forced." She kissed him softly and smiled, "I've been through this before, a wedding night, but you haven't. And the first time was sweet and slow and I was certain that it was what I wanted. And I was certain that it would last forever."

He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"But it wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted was this. This felt real, Draco. _This felt better_. You were urgent and desperate and you wanted only me. It was us, just you and me. And believe me, I didn't want precious and slow, I wanted to feel like my husband fucked me. And that he fucked me hard. But if it's important to you, then you can spend the rest of your life _making love_ to me, because I know this is forever."

Draco's mouth was suddenly over hers, his tongue sliding between her lips, warm and slick, soothing her and himself. "Sorry," he whispered, "I guess you haven't got the monopoly on freak outs."

Hermione smiled at his apology. It was usually her that was mumbling _sorry_ after a panicked melt down. It was usually him that was reassuring her that all would be well. It was rare that the roles were reversed. She seldom saw this side of him; the fear and the worry and the complete look of dismay in his eyes that he had disappointed her.

"I guess not. Did you want to start over?" She asked, "We could go back into hall and come back in. I'm wearing way less now, so getting to this part would be way quicker."

He looked down at her almost naked body, "There's no way you're stepping out there like _this_!"

She shrugged, "Who would know?"

His eyes boggled as she laughed and shifted to sit up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down, "Hermione. _I_ was promised a naked wife, not the entire fucking pub!"

She laughed harder, "But no one's out there. Who'd see us?"

"Oh-kay," He said slowly, "You like being naked in public. That might have been something I should have known prior to saying _I do_."

"It's an empty hallway, not exactly public." She reached for his hand and ran her finger across the platinum band, "Besides, it's too late, you can't back out now."

He smiled, "'Til death do us part. Isn't that what we agreed upon?"

"Sounds vaguely familiar," she hummed, "And I'm pretty sure you know everything about me by now."

"Hmm," he mused, "I do know you. And I do know that you didn't come. And I do know that I'm about to change that."

He kissed her neck, his tongue finding its way to her collarbone, the tip tickling over the rise of her breast and flicking across her nipple.

Her fingers slid through his hair, gripping tightly, and arching her back silently begging him for more. He smiled and pulled her nipple deeper into his mouth, and heard a satisfied moan. His fingers slipped beneath the lace of her underwear, slowly moving down, feeling the smooth, bare skin. The first time she'd been completely bare was in this room with him. She'd been bare for him.

He spread her, finding her clit and circling slowly around it. "Do you like that?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah," she whispered, "Yeah, I like that."

"How do you like it? Harder?" He pressed his finger against the sensitive bud and she grabbed his wrist.

"No," she breathed, "Like…" he slowed his finger again, "Yeah, like that."

His finger dipped lower, pulling up the wetness pooling rapidly at her entrance, circling and circling, keeping the same pace, not increasing the pressure. "Do you want me to fuck you again?"

She shook her head, "No…not yet…Keep doing… _Oh_!"

He squeezed gently on her clit and bit down on her nipple, her hand flying to the back of his neck and holding him in place. Draco watched her, and the weight that had been pressing into his chest, the weight that had urged him to fuck her hard, without thinking, lifted and it dawned on him that she was his wife. She was the person he would love and adore for the rest of his life.

And it was okay that he'd lost himself and fucked her hard and fast. He hadn't hurt her, instead he'd given into his most base needs and she'd loved him all the more for it.

He reluctantly dragged his fingers away from her, and she whined in protest.

He kissed her, whispered, _Trust me_ , and slid the white lace over her hips and down her legs.

"Yours too," she breathed and he smiled, kicking his boxers down his legs, his half hard cock springing free.

She pulled him back to her mouth, hit with the overwhelming need to simply kiss him again, desperate to have his mouth on hers. The quick press of lips became messy and hurried, hot and urgent, tongues tangling, tasting each other. She reached between them, her hands sliding over his stomach, her nails scratching across the hard muscles, tickling lightly through the hair on his navel.

He rolled over her and kissed a path down the length of her body, covering her breasts, her ribs, her hips. "Mine," he murmured as he kissed his way lower, "Mine…mine…mine."

She didn't care how possessive he sounded, as much as he was hers, she was equally his. All of her. A slow, shaky exhale left her and she felt a deep comfort wash over her, and her heart almost split in two. She loved him, loved him more than she thought was capable of loving anyone. And his declaration of _mine_ only stoked the felling further.

He positioned himself between her thighs and spread her legs wide, kissing a trail from her knee to her core. He let out a long exhale against her wet flesh, his warm breath causing her to shiver. He opened his mouth over her, and dragged his tongue through her. "Watch me," he growled, "Watch my tongue."

Hermione raised herself onto her elbows and looked down at where his mouth was currently sending shockwaves through her body. She reached one hand down, running her hand through his hair and rolling her hips against him. She groaned and fell back to the bed when two fingers entered her and curled forward. Her hand gripped his hair harder, tugging him closer, and whispering _more_ and _harder_ and _oh! fuck._

And he obliged, sucking and pulling at her with his tongue and lips, whispering against her with words that barely made it to her ears;

 _I love…  
_ _Your pussy tastes…  
_ _Fuck!  
_ _So good…_

She gasped. And it was all too much, and the intensity with which her orgasm hit her had her shaking and spasming, and wanting to pull away from him. Her legs want to clamp shut, but he held them wide open, his tongue still working her until she shoved at his head and cried for him to stop.

He moved over her, "Better?" he asked.

"The first time was pretty fucking good." She assured him and glanced down between them, reaching for him, stroking him, watching his face.

His eyes followed hers, watching her hand move over him, "No, it wasn't. It was-"

She cut him off with a kiss, "Stop." She told him, "Stop worrying. It was fucking perfect. And it's about to be perfect again."

She tilted his cock towards her, pressing the swollen crown against her clit, circling and rubbing and spreading the wetness he pulled from her with his mouth all over his hardened shaft.

 _"_ _Jesus! Fuck!"_ Draco couldn't take his eyes away from where she was rubbing him all over her. His arms were shaking where they were planted beside her shoulders, but didn't want her to stop, it felt so fucking amazing.

"You like that?" she whispered.

He nodded. It was all he could do. His voice was lost and he was sure that he could happily explode right then all over her bare skin and not be even slightly embarrassed about it.

"Do you want to be inside me?" she teased and lowered his cock to rest at her entrance. Draco nodded again and she laughed, "Can you talk?"

He looked up at her, his eyes dark and heavy, and shook his head. _No_ , he was fairly certain he wasn't able to talk. He rose up, resting on his knees between her thighs and spreading her legs wide. He replaced her hand with his and pressed the tip of himself just inside.

She inhaled sharply, and her instincts took over, rocking into him, searching, wanting him deeper.

He let out a quiet chuckle, and found his voice, "Not yet."

He pulled out of her and rested his cock over her clit, circling and rubbing in the same way she had done. She groaned and lifted her hips from the bed, the backs of her thighs tensing over his. She reached down and brushed her thumb over the tip of his cock, feeling how wet it was.

"Draco," she murmured, lost in the sensation of him.

"Hermione," He murmured back, watching her face as he finally slid into her.

His hands went to her hips, his thumbs sliding across her navel and meeting over her core. He pressed down and her head fell back against the pillow as he traced circles over her clit.

"Right there," She moaned, her hands fisting at the bedding, "Good. So fucking good."

He leaned over her, one hand beside her head, the other continuing to torture her pulsing bundle of nerves. "Look at me."

She opened her eyes, her breath catching at the hungry look burning in his grey eyes, a savage look that almost pulls her under. Every muscle in her body coils and tightens, just at his look, and she wants nothing more than for him to take her again, to fuck her, to make her scream his name.

And he knows. He knows without asking her and drags his hand away from her, lowering himself to her and bracing himself on his forearms arms. Without any warning, he slammed into her, hard and fast, and she moved with him, eagerly matching his thrusts. His cock is heavy and hard inside her, sinking through her over and over with a relentless urgency to get her there, to make it good.

Her body began to shake and her thighs pressed hard against his ribs, squeezing, rubbing chasing more friction. She grabbed his arse, shoving him deeper and he hits her with short, sharp stabs that have her crying out and arching beneath him. Her entire body stiffened and she shuddered, his name came out as a choked rasp.

His hand gripped her breast, squeezing hard and he grunted into her neck, "Fuck, Hermione. Fuck! Fuck!" He shook over her and he exhaled heavily and collapsed onto her.

His hand slid from her breast, down her ribs to her thigh, holding it against him. His eyes found hers and he smiled, relieved.

"Hey," she said quietly, her hands moving from his arse to circle his shoulders.

"Hey yourself," he kissed her gently, "How'd I do?"

Hermione shrugged, "Okay, I guess."

Draco laughed and gently nipped at her shoulder, "Give me twenty minutes and I'll show you _okay_."

Her eyes caught his and she sighed, "I love you, husband."

Her grinned at her, "And I love you too, wife."

* * *

Draco woke to something cold and wet dripping onto his chest. He opened his eyes and blinked into the defused morning light filtering into the room. Hermione was propped up beside him, the bottle of vodka tipped ever so slightly above his chest, and he watched as the clear liquid spilled across his skin.

"That seems an awful waste," He turned to look at her and she was biting her lip.

"I don't plan on wasting it,' she said softly, reaching across him and placing the bottle on the nightstand.

He held his breath as she slowly leaned over him, her tongue flicking out and lapping at the liquid on his skin.

 _Shit.  
_ _She really was going to kill him._

He watched, enthralled, as she licked and sucked at him; across his chest and ribs, across his navel, nipping at his hips, going lower and lower until she looked up at him and her face held an expression that had him wondering if she would actually devour him.

Her eyes never left his as she pushed his legs apart and licked across his balls, a wicked smile crossing her face at his sharp intake of breath. She drew the tip of her tongue along his cock, watching as his skin stretched as he grew harder. She wrapped her hand around the base, working him over, stroking and twisting her hand around him.

He gripped her hair, guiding her over him, wordlessly asking for more. She covered him with her mouth, sliding slowly down the solid length of him until the tip hit the back of her throat. She hummed around him, and swallowed, her throat tightening and pulling a loud, shuddering breath from him.

"Love your fucking mouth," he said, running a finger across her cheek, his hand in her hair gripping tighter as she flicked her tongue over the place beneath the head of his cock that always made him shudder. He reached down and pinched her nipple and she groaned around him.

She slowly pulled her head back, her teeth gently scraping over him in a torturous slide. She moved over him, straddling his hips, bending to kiss him, sealing her mouth over his. She fisted his hair and slid her tongue into his mouth, demanding more.

Draco's own hands slid into her hair, holding her to him and kissing her back, fevered and savage, and he groaned as she ground down over him. He reached between them, fisting his cock, holding it, waiting for her to take him in.

They both gasped as she lowered herself until he was fully seated inside her. His hands gripped her hips, holding her in place.

Hermione looked down at him, and a thought occurred to her.

 _He's mine._

 _She would be the only one to see him like this, naked and smiling.  
_ _She would be the only one to touch him, to feel the hard muscles and see the fine lines of his body.  
_ _She would be the only one to feel a flutter in her stomach when he said I love you._

 _He was hers.  
_ _Only hers._

"What are you thinking right now?"

"I can hardly believe that a year ago I found my forever." Bending forward, she pressed her mouth to his, "I love you and I love being married to you."

His heart almost burst.

He sat up and cupped her face, her enormous brown eyes staring back at him in wonder.

What more could he do but kiss her?

* * *

 **A/N: These two chapters started out as one, but as you can see they kind of got crazy long. I hope you enjoyed them...and, as always, much love and hugs for the kind words you're sending my way xx**


	27. Chapter 27

**So here it is; the final chapter. I had planned another one before this but just couldn't make it work, and rather than subject you to the sub-par writing that it involved, I wrote this. It was where I wanted the story to go anyway, so I guess it's an epilogue, if you will.**

* * *

"Dad! Come here quick! You have to see this. She can walk!"

Draco was greeted with the excited cries from his son the second he walked through the door. He dropped his messenger bag on the floor and wandered down the hallway, smiling at the sight before him; Scorpius and Hermione kneeling on the living room floor a few feet apart, and the little girl that had flipped their world around was standing unsteadily between them.

She looked up at him and gave him a toothy grin, clapping her tiny hands, congratulating herself, before losing her balance and plopping down onto the floor with a giggle. She didn't bother to get back on her feet, instead she crawled to Scorpius and flung herself at him.

"You walked!" Scorpius told her excitedly, hugging his baby sister, "You walked all on your own."

Draco didn't want to burst Scorpius' bubble by telling him that a few unsteady steps wasn't exactly _walking_ , but he was just as pleased as his son was, watching as Scorpius turned her around, held her until she had her balance and told her to go to Hermione.

A year after they'd been married, Hermione approached him cautiously, asking what he thought about all those children living in orphanages around the world, and if he would even consider adopting a child with her. He had been hesitant at first, not because he didn't want to adopt a child with her, but he wanted her to be sure it was what she really wanted, that it wasn't something that she wanted to do for him. She had assured him that it wasn't, that adopting a child with him was something that she wanted, and once they'd discussed it at length – just how much it would change their lives, just how difficult the process might be – they had grinned at each other like idiots and the decision had been made.

Scorpius of course loved the idea. The thought of being a big brother had him brimming with excitement. But they had had to put a halt to it, explaining to him that the process may take a while.

And they hadn't been wrong. It had taken two years to bring her into their home, into their family. Two long years of red tape and endless paperwork and interviews. Two long years of trips to Romania, only to be told that this time wasn't their time; that another family had been allowed to adopt this time.

And just when they'd been about to give up, Draco came home to Hermione in tears. He'd engulfed her before knowing what was wrong, simply assuming that that they'd been told yet again that they wouldn't be considered. But she had smiled through her tears and held up a picture.

"She's ours," Hermione had whispered.

Draco had taken a step back, almost trembling as he took the picture from her. His hand went to his mouth and he felt tears sting at his eyes, "Are you sure?"

Hermione had nodded, looking at him as if she could hardly believe it and seeing the same look reflected back in his eyes.

"Say it again." Draco had said

Hermione had beamed at him, "She's ours."

The three of them had travelled to meet her and they had instantly fallen in love with her. A gorgeous dot of a child, with dark curly hair and chocolate brown eyes rimmed with long, dark lashes. She had a tiny button nose, her skin was fair and her smile was constant, and when Hermione first held her, she snuggled into her immediately and they all knew she was definitely theirs.

They named her Sofia, keeping with her heritage and Draco's love of Greek mythology. She was six months old when they finally brought her home and she melted the hearts of everyone around her. She was happy and placid, and there was an almost daily fight between the three of them as to who would get her affections.

Of course, Scorpius was her favourite, she adored him and her squeals of delight when he came home from school were almost deafening. And, true to form, he constantly let them both know it, insisting that the tiny hissing sound she made when she was babbling in her nonsensical baby talk was actually her saying his name.

Trevor was a close second; the baby taking to following the cat everywhere around the flat when she had learned to crawl. And Trevor had taken to sleeping in her crib when she wasn't in it and right outside her bedroom door when she was.

They had only celebrated her first birthday a week prior. Scorpius had insisted on a massive celebration for her, but much to his dismay, she had spent most of it sleeping. They had both laughed and told him that she wouldn't remember her first birthday anyway, and that he'd been an amazing big brother to want to have a big celebration for her.

Scorpius had also been hoping that she would walk on her birthday; she'd been stepping along the furniture for weeks now, but had been hesitant to finally let go. Their little girl had clearly decided to wait, and as Scorpius had excitedly said, she was now finally walking. And Draco, in this moment, knew that all the waiting, all the frustrations, all the angst and tears that went into this little girl becoming a part of their family were all worth it to see the current looks on his wife's and son's faces as she took her first unsteady steps

"When did this start?" Draco asked crossing the room to join them.

"She just did it now." Scorpius said, "Mum said we should see if she'd do it and she did."

Draco smiled at Hermione.

 _Mum._

It had taken some getting used to, but Scorpius had theorised that if Sofia was going to call her mum, then he should also, to avoid any confusion in the future.

And Hermione loved it.

Scorpius had approached her randomly one day after school, after they'd arrived home from their first meeting Sofia, and had told her that while he knew she wasn't his real mother, and that knew he had told her that he wouldn't call her mum, he felt that it was important that he now did so.

Hermione, of course, had taken it all in her stride, telling him that she had made a promise to love him forever and that if he wanted to call her mum, she would be perfectly fine with that. And that just because Sofia would be joining their family, she wouldn't love him any less if he still called her Hermione. But he had insisted, and by the time Sofia had come home with them, Hermione was mum.

"No, Sofia," Scorpius said gently as Sofia made a wobbly turn, "You have to walk to mum."

Sofia took no notice and stumbled towards Draco, who caught her just as she made to fall. "Well, look at you, Miss." He said lifting her up and kissing her cheek, "Look at how clever you are."

She babbled something to him, grabbing a fistful of his hair, and, not bothered at all by the fierce tugging, he nodded in agreement at whatever she was telling him.

"Well, it sounds to me like you've had a very busy day," He told her, easing his hair from her grip. He put her back on her feet, and faced her towards Hermione, "Off you go. Show me how it's done."

She babbled something else at him, looking up at him with her wide eyes, and he knew she would be the death of him. He was already planning how to fend off any teenage boys in the future. She clapped her little hands again and took several tentative steps towards Hermione.

"Come on, Sof, two more steps," Hermione encouraged her, her arms outstretched towards her.

Sofia looked up at her and smiled, "Mum." She blurted out and took the final two steps to Hermione.

Draco watched as Hermione's face lit up, not only had their daughter walked for the first time, she had just said her first word. And he was ecstatic that it was _mum._ He smiled as Hermione's eyes filled with tears, hugging their daughter to her chest and kissing her temple.

"She talked!" Scorpius exclaimed, "She talked _and_ she walked on the same day."

"And she said _mum,_ not _Scorpius_ ," Draco teased his son and then winked at Hermione, "See, you _are_ her favourite."

"No, way," Scorpius argued, "She says my name all the time. You just can understand it properly yet."

Draco laughed, "Nice try. _Mum's_ the winner."

"It wasn't a competition." Hermione said, setting Sofia back on her feet and encouraging her to go to Scorpius.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." Draco stood and kissed the top of Hermione's head, "Enjoy the moment."

Hermione smiled up at him and whispered "Thank you."

Draco shook his head, "No thanks needed. She loves her mum, it was bound to happen."

* * *

Draco was woken by the snuffling sounds emanating from the small monitor beside his bed. He looked at the clock, it was 4am and the quiet grizzles quickly turned into wails. He glanced to the other side of the bed and saw Hermione, appearing to not have even moved since she fell asleep. He smiled and climbed out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweat pants and heading for his crying daughter.

"Hey, little Miss," he cooed at her, "What's all this noise?" He picked her up from her crib and cradled her to his chest, rocking her gently. Her wails turned to whimpers as she wriggled against his bare skin. "Hey, it's okay," he told her and began pacing the floor slowly, rubbing his hand gently across her back.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him, and he could feel the heat from her skin; she was hot and feverish and miserable. She was teething, and while she'd been mostly happy during the day, nights had been horrendous, which had made for very little sleep for he and Hermione the last few nights.

But despite the exhaustion, he realised just how much he had wanted this. He had accepted what had happened to Hermione and knew that it would be just her, him and Scorpius and that was all he thought he ever needed. That was until this little dark-haired angel had come into their lives, and had become more important to all of them than anything. All the memories of Scorpius at the same age came flooding back; pacing the floor with him in the wee hours of the morning; the teething, the tantrums; the colds and fevers. And he looked forward to it all again with her. And he was delighted to be, this time, sharing the sleeplessness and exhaustion with his wife.

But he had also forgotten just how much joy a baby could bring; the sweet giggles, the quiet cuddles, the never ending wonder when she discovered something new. And just watching Scorpius with her, how much he adored her and doted on her. He had often wondered if the novelty of being a big brother, of having a baby sister, would wear off soon after she'd arrived, but it seemed that it wouldn't, and he was more than proud of his son for being as caring with her as he had been.

"Hey," Hermione said quietly from the doorway.

Draco turned and she smiled at their daughter curled against his chest, her head against his shoulder, her fingers in her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, but Hermione knew she wasn't looking at anything, just staring blankly into space, her eyes blinking slowly, almost asleep.

"She woke," he said by way of explanation.

Hermione smiled, she was sure this was exactly what he was like with Scorpius when he was tiny; protective and attentive and adoring. Even in the deepest sleep, he would wake at the tiniest sound she made. And she loved seeing him with her, playing on the floor, in a mess with her at dinner time, curled on the sofa reading with both her and Scorpius. She loved all of it.

She stepped closer to them and gently pressed her lips to her daughters' forehead, "She's still hot."

Draco nodded, "I give it two more days and that tooth will be through, and we'll have our happy girl back."

She placed her hand over Draco's on Sofia's back, "I think we lucked out again."

"How's that?"

She watched as Sofia's eyes closed, "We were given the most beautiful little girl on the planet."

Draco smiled at her, "I think you're right."

She kissed him quickly, "I'll leave you two alone. She's almost out anyway"

"I won't be long. Don't go to sleep before I get there." He winked at her and she grinned, assuring him that she wouldn't and headed for the door.

After a few more minutes, Draco felt Sofia completely relax against him and laid her down gently, covering her with the blanket Scorpius had insisted that they buy for her – Iron Man was still his favourite and it looked as though Sofia would not be given a choice. Her little arms immediately rose above her head, stretching herself out and making him smile.

Any concerns that he initially had about adopting a child had instantly disappeared the minute he first held her. The instantaneous love he felt for her when she had snuggled into him had been overwhelming. This tiny girl, who had no blood ties to them, had suddenly become his world. All the clichés were true – he would go to the end of the earth for her, die for her. And in an instant, she, Scorpius and Hermione had become the most important people in his life, and the need to protect them all had been all consuming.

He'd felt this before with Scorpius, of course he had, but now it seemed heavier. It wasn't just him and his son any more, now it was his family and they needed him. Hermione had teased him about being a caveman, but he knew she loved him all the more for it.

He placed his hand on Sofia's belly, "Love you little miss."

* * *

"She's asleep?"

Draco nodded, "Out like a light,"

"I didn't even hear her, are you sure she woke? Or were you just in need of a baby cuddle?"

Draco crawled back into the bed and pinched her hip, knowing she was teasing him. "She woke," he said kissing her, "And you didn't hear her because you were snoring like freight train."

"Was not," she said indignantly.

"Oh, believe me, you were." He sniggered, "You're exhausted. A teething baby is by no means easy, and you're working a thousand hours a week on top of that."

"It's not that many."

He rolled to look at her, "I know that," he brushed her hair behind her ear, "I'm not judging. You're a great mum, to both of them. I'm just saying you're exhausted. Take a few days. The girls won't care."

"Sofia loves being in the shop. And everyone loves her being there. Besides, I took yesterday off."

"I know that, but one more day won't hurt," He said, "Re-fuel and both of you will be better for it. I promise."

Hermione leaned up on her elbow and glanced over at the clock beside the bed, "I can think of another way to re-fuel." She ran her hand across his bare stomach and he gave her an amused smile.

"I'm not sure that's re-fueling, that's more likely to exhaust you even more."

She bent down and kissed his chest, her hand slipping lower, sneaking beneath the sheets, her fingers teasing along the elastic of his boxers, "You think you're that good?"

He snorted, "You know I am."

"Prove it," she challenged, her hand slipping lower still and wrapping around him. He was soft, clearly not expecting this turn of events, certainly not at 4.45 in the morning.

He lifted his head to look down at where her hand disappeared into his boxers, watching where she slowly began to move up and down his shaft, stroking gently and sliding his foreskin back and forth over the head. He grabbed her wrist, surprising her, and pulled her hand away. He kissed her palm and told her to lay back, "I love your hands on me, but I have something to prove here, right?"

His hands were warm as they slipped under her tank, sliding up her stomach and stopping at the underside of her breast. His lips hovered over hers, not kissing, just breathing her in. She felt the cool air across her skin as he pushed the thin material over her chest and up her arms, tossing it to the floor. She felt her nipples tighten as his fingers grazed over them, followed quickly by his mouth.

"Beautiful," he whispered and she sighed. He feathered his fingers down her stomach and his mouth brushed over the hollow at the base of her throat. Her pulse sped up and she arched her back when his mouth moved down her body. His tongue circled her belly button and she slid her hand across the smooth skin on his back, feeling his muscles bunch as he pushed her pyjama pants down and she kicked them off her feet.

"Beautiful," he said again, "Every...single...inch." He dropped between her thighs and kissed her where she was already warm and wet. She groaned and he continued kissing and licking and sucking and circling his tongue over her until she shivered and let out a strangled cry.

He kicked his boxers off before moving up her body, linking their fingers and bringing their hands up to rest beside her head. He met her gaze, her eyes were glassed over, but she had a satisfied smile on her face. He allowed himself a smug grin and she caught it. She rolled her eyes and he laughed.

"You don't have to tell me how good I am."

Hermione huffed a breath at him, "I hadn't planned to."

He positioned himself at her entrance and without warning drove into her making her gasp, "I want to hear you," he whispered and lowered himself to her, his full weight pressing down on her. He felt her stretch around him and set a slow pace, "I want to hear those sounds you make right before you come."

She glanced at the baby monitor, a silent statement telling him they couldn't be loud, not when their baby daughter had woken several times in the last few nights.

"They're asleep,' He assured her, "Doors are closed, they won't hear you. _I_ want to hear you, Hermione. I want to feel you."

He watched her, watched as the indecision crossed her face. It had amused him to no end that she hadn't made a sound during sex in the first month after they'd brought the baby home, and he had reminded her that she'd been nervous about Scorpius when they'd first started seeing each other, and he'd yet to hear them. And Sofia would be the same. Babies, he told her, would sleep through anything.

He cover her mouth with his, kissing her softly. "She's asleep," he said again and she sighed, opening her lips and taking his tongue into her mouth. A small moan escaped her as he continued to leisurely stroke through her and he smiled. She might not let go completely, but he was sure as hell going to enjoy trying to make her.

His slow, measured thrusts were building, her breathing was becoming erratic. He pulled out almost completely and a wave of pride spread through him as she growled in frustration. He reached down and pulled her leg over his hip and slid home with one hard thrust.

Hermione's eyes flew open and she gasped, "Fuck!" she ground out through clenched teeth.

He held still above her, feeling her pulsate around him; she was hot and slick and he knew it would be driving her mad.

"Draco. Fucking move!" She ground against him, but he refused to move. She lifted her mouth to his neck, licking and sucking and grazing her teeth against his skin. She wrapped her legs around his hips, squeezing her thighs against him, cursing him, digging her fingers into his arse and urging him to move.

But he still didn't move, watching her as she growled in frustration, waiting for the sounds he wanted. She continued to grind against him, sliding along his length, and he gritted his teeth, telling himself to hang on.

"Draco, fuck!" She swore at him, "If you don't fucking move..."

He released her hands and braced himself above her, and began fucking into her. She moved with him, small cries spilling from her mouth, still restrained and he grinned down at her. He moved faster, building the friction, driving her higher and higher and he finally heard what he wanted. She cried out, shuddering beneath him.

He tensed above her, his thrusts becoming short and sharp. He reached between them and stroked her. Her fingernails bit into his arms and she cried out again. She squeezed him tightly, and he fell over the edge with her.

Draco's heart was hammering in his chest, his breath was hot and heavy on her neck. He felt her arms wrap around his shoulders, her legs squeezed him tightly.

"Was I loud enough for you?" Hermione was breathless, but without even looking at her he knew she was smiling.

He lifted his head, "No. But we'll work on that."

She pinched his shoulder, "You're an arse."

"I know," He said and kissed her, "But you were right."

"Of course I was," she said, "About what?"

He kissed her, "About re-fuelling. I feel like I could run a marathon right now."

Hermione glanced at the clock, 5.30am, their usual wake up time when they ran, "Go then," she told him with a sated smile, "Run. I'll get them both ready-"

He stopped her with a kiss, "No. I have no desire to leave you right now. If I could I would lay here all day with my dick inside you."

"That sounds amazing," Hermione sighed, "Maybe Scorpius could get her ready and take her down to Ginny and Pansy for the day."

Draco agreed and began to rock against her, she was still wet and slick and he began to grow harder with each slide. "Hmm, that sounds like the perfect plan."

A small snuffle sounded on the monitor and they both whipped their heads to look at it, holding their breaths and waiting for the wails to start. But after another series of quiet snuffles, the monitor went quiet and their gazes shifted back to each other.

"Make it quick," Hermione told him, "She might not give us another chance."

He grinned down at her and wasting no time, began thrusting into her.

* * *

"Let's go!" Scorpius was headed for the door, and both Hermione and Draco were shaking their heads at him. He'd been itching to get going from the moment he woke, and they had no idea as to why, and he refused to tell them. It was just another day, nothing special as far as they were aware, but obviously something was happening in his day that he was excited about.

"Okay, okay," Draco said, "Let's go."

They headed down the stairs, Hermione carrying Sofia who seemed to be picking up on her brother's excitement, and was babbling to Hermione and clapping eagerly. They had been surprised to find that the molar that had made her miserable for days and erupted through her gums in the wee hours of the morning and they did indeed have their happy baby back.

As soon as they entered the shop, they understood the excitement. Scorpius proudly announced to Ginny and Pansy that Sofia had taken her first steps and she had called Hermione _mum._ The pair had _ooh-ed_ and _aah-ed_ without any trace of condescension at his excitement, as did the regulars who had also fallen in love with the baby.

Draco leaned over and kissed Hermione goodbye and winced as Sofia clutched at his ear and unleashed a tirade of baby speak at him.

"You're in trouble daddy," Hermione laughed.

"I think I am," Draco agreed and attempted to remove himself from his daughter's clutches, "Hey little miss, let go of daddy."

Scorpius was laughing, telling Pansy and Ginny that Sofia did that to him all the time. Draco blew a raspberry on her cheek and she giggled and pushed him away. He leaned in and did it again, making her squirm against Hermione to get away from him.

He cupped Sofia's head and kissed her cheek, "You get the first kiss tomorrow baby girl, I promise." He grabbed his coffee from the counter and followed Scorpius out the door, both calling _goodbye_ as they disappeared through the door.

"What?" Hermione asked noticing the looks on her friend's faces.

"We both hate you, you know that, right?" Ginny said.

"I know that," Hermione said before adding, "I'm just not sure why this time."

"You come down the stairs with your perfect blonde god of a husband and your perfect, sweetheart of a son and your perfect little princess, and its all gooey eyes and kisses and adorableness, and we hate you." Pansy said.

"Not to mention that going by the swooney look on Draco's face you gave it up this morning and had perfect sex." Ginny added and then grumbled, "Probably multiple times."

Hermione grinned at them, "Nice that you're jealous of _me_ for a change." She stepped around the counter to help Pansy, as Ginny reached for Sofia, plucking the baby out of Hermione's arms and hugging her.

"Mum," Sophia said and grabbed Ginny's hair.

"No sweetie, Ginny. Gin-ee."

"If she says Ginny before she says _Dad_ or _Scorp_ , you won't be popular." Hermione warned.

"Pfft," Ginny waved at hand at her, "Aunt Ginny is way better than daddy or Scorpius. Isn't that right princess?"

Hermione laughed, "Ginny, I love you, but are you ever actually going to do any work for me ever again?"

"No," Ginny said not taking her eyes of the baby "Our princess is far too cute for me to possibly do anything."

"Our princess?" Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"You know she is."

Hermione kissed her daughter's chubby cheek, "Yes I do."

* * *

Hermione flipped the closed sign over on the door and smiled at Pansy and Ginny who were both making faces at her daughter as Draco held her, her sweet giggles and her mutterings of _mum, mum_ made her heart soar. Scorpius was at one of the tables, finishing his homework so he could spend the rest of the evening playing with his sister.

His sister.

The little girl she never thought she'd have. The husband and son that she never dared to imagined.

Six years. Six years had gone by in the blink of an eye. Six years since she'd thrown herself a drunken pity party after she'd been fired. Six years since she'd sat miserably staring out the window of her flat wondering just what she'd do with her life now her beloved job was no longer hers. Six years since she'd had her light bulb moment and her own book shop had come to fruition.

She was still astounded each and every day that her life was now this. The life she thought had been taken from her was now right here, right in front of her.

She leaned back on the door watching them all. Draco caught her eye. He smiled and mouthed, _I love you._

Husband. Son. Daughter.

New life.

 _Thank you Universe._

* * *

 **So that's it.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with this. I was initially nervous about writing an AU in this fandom, but the kind words and encouragement made me think I was doing an okay job. I have some ideas knocking around in my head for something else, so hopefully I'll see you all again soon.**

 **Much thanks and many hugs xx**


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